BEYOND THE TRAILS

by Rory Sutherland

Having put aside his career on two wheels, former cycling champion Rory Sutherland has been reborn as a trail runner. On the dirt trails he has found a terrain in which to test himself again and overcome the challenges that life has imposed on him in recent years.

ABOUT RORY

Rory Sutherland's story is one that unites the road cycling and trail running communities - were they ever really divided? - an example of sporting rebirth, the therapeutic value of outdoor activities and how the competitive spirit can help tackle the challenges that really matter, those off the trails.

Already after exchanging a few words with the Canberra native, who currently lives in Catalonia with his wife Cheynna and children Eston and Aurelia, it is impossible not to be impressed by his resourcefulness. He possesses a smile, barely noticeable, but always on his face, and the eyes of someone who has never shied away from a challenge. These are the symptoms of someone who has something special inside.

Rory's 20-year career as a pro-cyclist unfolds exactly as in his boyhood dreams, when he imagined retracing the marks left by the wheels of the champions who made the sport legendary. Victory in the under-23 national cup earned him the pass to enter the big stages, where he wrote his name in the roll of honour of the most important stage races in the USA. In his palmares the Australian also boasts a place in the general classification of eight Grand Tours, experienced as a passer-by alongside, among others, Contador, Quintana and Valverde.

FROM ROAD TO DIRT

The first off-road challenge presented itself to Rory during his final season, when he fractured his femur falling off a scooter in December 2019. The terrible injury did not break his ambitions, however: Rory wanted to be free to choose when to quit. So, not even a year after the accident, he was at the start of Milan-San Remo once again, despite the fact doctors had predicted he would never be able to ride again. His recovery in record time, at the age of thirty-eight, was not without its difficulties. But Rory decided to come back for one last dance, proving to himself and the professional community that “the limit is an overrated concept” if you have a winning mentality and an obsession to continually become the best version of yourself as great as your passion. Coming from him, it sounds simple.

Despite pushing through the pain from the accident, challenges persisted and Rory was forced to retire during the pandemic period. For him, 2020 marks the closing of the circle as a cyclist and the opening of a new door linked to the outdoor dimension. From trekking the trails and ridges of Catalonia, which allowed him to spend time with his family and strengthen his muscles, Rory soon returned to the starting line of a trail running event.

RUNNING FOR AURELIA

This time, personal revenge was not involved. Rory is running for Aurelia, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in June 2021, at the age of eight. A thunderbolt that forced a reassessment of life's priorities, Rory found running on the trails a constant escape from thoughts and discovered a new energy to stay positive and look forward to the future. ‘Every step taken on the trails has the taste of conquest,’ says Rory, "there I find the adrenaline rush I was looking for in cycling at the beginning of my career. I do it to feel alive and to give the people around me the strength to face the challenges they are experiencing." In a post on Instagram in 2021, Rory emphasises how this new challenge is born for fun and ‘not to try to be an athlete or participate in crazy 100+ km races.’

A few years later, these words of his sound ironically as prophetic. Through consistent training, Rory manages to push the limit of kilometres travelled, dividing his time between stays in the hospital with Aurelia and training in the mountains with his Catalan friends. The endurance that led him to finally try his hand at long distances, going beyond the physical limits imposed by the fragility of his body, stems from this mix of motivational drives and the responsibility that comes from the fact that “if you can, you must”, to quote compatriot Emma Carey.

In August 2025, Rory will take the challenge to the next level, participating in the legendary race from Courmayeur to Chamonix - 101 km. and over 6000 m. of positive altitude gain, up and down Mont Blanc. He has no guarantees as to how his body will hold up, but he is intent on leaving his mark on the running (and cycling) community by placing the finisher's medal around his neck. That is his mission.

At Karpos we look forward to experiencing this journey with him!