An Interview with… John Eustice
The Pioneer Spirit. Whilst in New York, during our series of book launches for our first title, I had the great pleasure to meet and subsequently interview the former professional cyclist John Eustice. This interview, along with the stunning images by Kevin Hatt, then appeared within the pages of the book ‘Pro Cycling Style – Woven into History’, a 200 page title dedicated to the rich legacy of style within the sport of cycling.
Eustice is one of a select number of riders in the late 1970s who crossed the Atlantic and blazed a trail as pioneering U.S pro cyclists in Europe. During his interview he shared his straight-talking recollections of his time competing there, and his vision in creating the first American cycling team to compete in a Grand Tour.
The following post shows an excerpt, as well as unpublished images, from his eight page interview within the new book ‘Pro Cycling Style’, where Eustice pulls no punches in sharing his insights into the tough sport he refers to as “Horse racing meets Boxing”
John Eustice’s complete interview within the book ‘Pro Cycling Style’, available here at our online store
…When we first met in New York, you did something to dispel the romantic image of being a professional cyclist in that era, describing the sport as “Horse Racing meets Boxing.”
Yeah sure, well that is the beauty of it, cycling is a bottom-up sport like boxing, it’s a poor man’s to make good sport, it is not a university sport that the participants suddenly decided to start taking money. There are no Roger Bannister types in cycling, you know, and that is what is beautiful about cycling, it’s a common man’s sport.
Digging deep, Eustice’s early performances in Europe would gain him his first signing with the French Sem – France Loire team in 1981
It’s raw, rough – and that is what is great about it. It is real, and it’s always been a way of making money that also happens to be a sport, rather than a sport that is a way of making money.
It’s an old sport; in the 1880s, cycling and boxing were the two biggest, and richest, sports in France. They’ve always been money sports – you go into boxing because you think you can make money, and you go into cycling for the same reason. And that is the base of it, that’s why when they try to judge it, along the lines of swimming or something, it’s just not the same thing, it is a very different creature, and again that’s what is beautiful about it, it’s an honest sport.
His stunning 1982 American National Champion jersey, custom-made for him by the celebrated Milanese tailoring company Vittore Gianni
You entered the Giro d’Italia of 1984 with the Gianni Motta team – pioneering as the captain of the first U.S registered team to enter any Grand Tour. How did the formation of this team come about?
After I’d come back to the States, I had a particularly bad accident; I’d basically broken my face in two. February of 1983, I did a face plant and had to complete the rest of the race with zinc oxide all over my face, whilst wearing the National Champion jersey. My teeth were broken and jaw had to be wired, it was a bad one.
So whilst recovering back in the U.S I’d created a team that raced in the Tour of America, which was an early attempt to capture the American market in 1983. I’d also created a team with the bicycle manufacturer Alfredo Gios. Then Robin and Glenn Morton wanted to get involved in the sport, and at the Milan bike show I introduced them to the Italian rider, and now bike manufacturer, Gianni Motta. He was eager to expand into the growing U.S market, and together we created this team, the first U.S team to compete in a Grand Tour.
The creation of the Gianni Motta team, with Eustice as team captain. His reigning National Champion colours used as a vehicle for the entire aesthetic of the team’s kit during their participation of the 1984 Giro d’Italia – making them the first American registered team to compete in any Grand Tour
Gianni provided incredible technical support, Max Testa was the team doctor, now at BMC; this being his first command, and our team mechanic was Faustino Muñoz Cambron, who went onto work as Alberto Contador’s personal mechanic. So we had a great team, fantastic bikes, a really great set-up. I myself was used to spending time in Italy, but the other team riders hadn’t, so unfortunately there were a lot of culture clashes within the team, amongst the U.S riders and our largely Italian staff.
‘‘That was my vision, I saw that it could be done and I believed in it, I believed in the American riders.’’
The American riders were good, with Karl Maxon doing the longest solo break ever seen in the history of the Giro d’Italia – 180 km. I was in a position to win the final stage, the story of my career; crashed all by myself, while out front in the final road stage of the Giro…
In 1984 Eustice was the reigning U.S National Champion, his team jersey with the Gianni Motta team
But there was a lot of culture clash, which sadly doomed the team. But yes it was a start, others then came and did much better, such as 7-Eleven. But it is a nice legacy knowing that this was the first U.S registered team to compete in any Grand Tour. That was my vision, I saw that it could be done and I believed in it, I believed in the American riders. I was the one, up in the middle of the night between stages negotiating with people, American riders and Italian staff, but we got through it.
The Gianni Motta team jersey design is quite interesting. You had two designs for that year?
The green, yellow and pink design was the original one, that was Gianni’s first, and those colours represented his career highlights winning the Tour de Suisse, Giro d’Italia, and Tour de Romandie. But then for the Giro d’Italia he made an alternative design, a play on my National Champion jersey that I was riding in that year. My jersey had the vertical stripes and we gave the rest of the team horizontal stripes.
One of the spreads from Eustice’s interview within the book ‘Pro Cycling Style’, available here at our online store
Winning the U.S National Champion title was of course small, in comparison to being the Italian National Champion for example, but we were who we were. I knew that the U.S National Champion jersey had little value in the States, but I realised that it could be given greater value by riding with it in Europe during a Grand Tour, so I used my National Champion jersey as a catalyst to build this team – we even had the bikes painted in the National Champion colours too.
The stunning Gianni Motta team bike, dressed every bit as well as the riders in the sublime livery of Stars and Stripes, images courtesy of Premium-Cycling.com
During your time in Italy was there a sense of pride and preening regarding how you were kitted out?
Yes indeed, riders are peacocks, and believe me you cannot turn up at the Pros with a dirty bike, dirty socks. Oh my God, a real no-no.
The riders are peacocks, jockeys – essentially you’re a showman.
Pro Cycling Style – Eustice as captain of Gianni Motta team he created, a true pioneer
This is the difference between cycling and other sports, you are there as an entertainer and you’ve got to entertain the public. Even the way they race. This, in my opinion, was the problem with the Ineos team, they were so purely results orientated, even if Froome broke that a little towards the end with the way he won the Giro and all that.
As a professional cyclist your job foremost is to entertain the public, not just race for yourself. And you see that sense of showmanship, especially from riders who have raced on the track – you need to add a little pizzazz. That is why everyone loved Alberto Contador; he entertained the public, and that is why he’ll be beloved forever.
Eustice today in his native New York, photographed by Kevin Hatt
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post – to discover the full interview with John Eustice, it’s waiting for you within the pages of our new book ‘Pro Cycling Style – Woven into History’
This large format coffee table book is packed with over 500 images, showcasing a wealth of original race-worn jerseys, all worn by a host of legendary cyclists. It also features specially commissioned features, as well as a host of interviews with the riders who created this legacy, the world’s leading memorabilia collectors, and the creative teams from Rapha, De Marchi and Santini, who are now creating the breakthrough designs defining the modern era.
This new book is a follow up to our first title ‘The Cycling Jersey – Craftsmanship, Speed and Style‘ which gained the high praise from Rouleur magazine as a title they described as both ‘Beautiful and Enlightening‘.
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