WATT WORKS FOR ME Sean Flynn

The former national champion on the mud tells CW how he's transferred his talents to the road

- David Bradford

You won both cyclo-cross and XC mtb national junior titles in 2018, which implies you’re an offroad specialist?

I also won a national title on the road as an under-16, so I’ve always done both. When I describe myself as new to road racing, my friends laugh and say, ‘Nah, you’ve always done it!’ As a junior I did two or three road races a year, so far fewer than people from a road-only background.

You’ve only been racing full-time on the road since 2021 yet already you’re a WorldTour rider. How have you made such fast progress?

I had to learn the intricacies of racing on the road, the feel, the sixth sense to make the right decisions at the right time. But physically my capabilities were already quite good, which is what attracted [Team DSM] to me.

What did it entail, transferring off-road competencies to the road?