Within the two years since he received the British nationwide Omnium title, Oscar Nilsson-Julien has moved to France, switched racing nationality, and earned his spot within the nation’s observe biking squad for the Paris Olympics.
“It has been unbelievable,” he tells Biking Weekly contained in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome. “We have most likely the perfect lodging attainable, in a citadel. We have nice cooks, nutritionists. I do not suppose I’ve ever eaten so nicely. And we have large gardens.
“[Julian] Alaphilippe, first day, comes up and sits subsequent to me at dinner and we simply chatted for a bit, and [Christophe] Laporte is admittedly humble. That was fairly cool. For them, they don’t care, however for me, these are guys I’ve watched on TV.”
Nilsson-Julien grew up in North London, born to a French-Swedish father (therefore the surname) and an English mom. As a baby, he went to a bilingual faculty, and started using on the observe at Herne Hill Velodrome, the athlete manufacturing facility that boasts Fred Wright, Ethan Hayter and Tom Gloag amongst its alumni, when he was 9 years outdated.
Later, as most of the nation’s most promising cyclists do, he joined the British Biking academy programme, and moved to Manchester to coach.
“On the academy, it was tough, however I realized what I wished to get out of biking,” the 22-year-old says. “It is very structured. You solely have one coach, and you must hit these targets, but it surely forces you to dig deep and actually push your self. If you happen to win a gold medal with GB, it is anticipated. If you happen to win a gold medal with France, it is unbelievable.”
(Picture credit score: Allan McKenzie/SWpix)
In late 2022, after profitable a British nationwide observe title, the Londoner moved to the south of France to pursue a street profession with AVC Aix-en-Provence. At that time, switching nationality wasn’t on his thoughts. “I used to be discovering it robust to take pleasure in what I used to be doing, principally. I wanted a change,” he says.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, critiques and professional shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Nilsson-Julien initially put a pin in his observe biking to concentrate on his street ambitions. Then, sooner or later, his coach put him in contact with the French nationwide workforce. “Florian Rousseau, the boss of the French federation, referred to as me up saying, ‘Do you wish to swap?’ and I used to be like, ‘Yeah. I’ve received nothing to lose’,” he remembers.
Eighteen months on, the 22-year-old is now at a house Video games in Paris. He is a part of France’s squad as a reserve, an understudy for Benjamin Thomas, the nation’s new Omnium champion. Throughout the workforce, he says, there have been hints of mockery in direction of him.
“Generally they’re like, ‘Ah, however you are British’, as in, ‘You’ve got received a distinct tradition’. Not in a adverse means, however in a humorous means,” he says. “There are issues I will do this they will not get, like I will be very sarcastic, they usually will not at all times perceive my sarcasm.
“I positively really feel extra French now than I did earlier than. I really feel very French. I stay in France now, my French has progressed, and I’m absolutely bilingual. However I really feel each. I’ve at all times felt each. I do not really feel connected to both nation greater than the opposite. I like each cultures for various causes,” he says, including with a smile: “and I dislike each cultures for various causes.”
For the rest of this yr, Nilsson-Julien will trip with French Continental workforce Van Rysel-Roubaix as a stagiaire on the street. He is set to race the Tour of Britain subsequent month, earlier than his consideration turns to the Monitor World Championships, scheduled for October in Copenhagen, which is his “predominant purpose” of the season.
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Since shifting to France two years in the past, life has been “means happier”, Nilsson-Julien explains. Does he have any regrets about leaving the British Biking system? “There was a second once I needed to take a danger,” he says.
“I did not know what the French federation was like, both. It was a superb resolution. It is put me right here. I’ve come second in a Nations Cup. I haven’t got any regrets, actually. The one factor you miss is the folks, the employees, the riders that you just get together with.
“It rains on a regular basis in Manchester, southern France is means higher. It is scorching on a regular basis, blue skies, and it barely rains.”
Now, with only a few days remaining of the Olympics, the Londoner is decided to study as a lot as he can from the expertise. “I am making an attempt to not get in the way in which of the blokes within the group,” he laughs. “I am simply making an attempt to have enjoyable and absorb what I can do, in order that in 4 years, once I truly need to race, I am not making an attempt to do issues I can not do.”
Come the Los Angeles Video games in 2028, Nilsson-Julien could be standing on the rostrum, singing ‘La Marseillaise’ as a proud Frenchman, one which was born and raised in London.
