Ineos Grenadiers’ ‘Chief Morale Officer’ Cameron Wurf to continue balancing act
Australian veteran is signed on for one more year at the WorldTour and will continue to balance road racing and preparation for the Ironman.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Cameron Wurf will continue wearing his road racing and triathlon hats for the 2023 season at Ineos Grenadiers.
The 39-year-old Australian made his season debut at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on Sunday, and will continue his balancing act between racing the world’s top triathlons and helping the elite men’s WorldTour team when he can.
Wurf signed a one-year contract extension to race through the 2023 season in Ineos Grenadiers colors.
“I’m excited to have another year with the team and, for me personally, to try and piece together a season like I envisioned,” Wurf said. “That means coming back onto the roster obviously wanting to be a reliable teammate and hopefully also add a bit to the morale. Tom Pidcock calls me the ‘CMO’ of the team: Chief Morale Officer.”
Also read:
Wurf brings undeniable energy and experience to any race he starts, and with Ineos Grenadiers packed with young and promising talent, he provides an important ballast inside the team bus.
“It’s about having the respect and trust of the guys of the team, if they do turn up at a race and I’m thrown into it, knowing that they believe I can do a job and contribute,” Wurf said in an interview. “I think that I’ve shown that and I’ve been part of some great successes with the team over the last few years.”
Balancing act between road racing and triathlon
Wurf rejoined to the WorldTour in 2020, just weeks before the world shut down on.
Based in Andorra, Wurf trains and competes around the globe, both in select races on the WorldTour and in top triathlons on the calendar.
Wurf says bike racing keeps his cycling legs sharp for triathlon as he continues to work to bring his running and swimming skills to winning Ironman level.
“Each year’s been better and I want to continue this year,” he said. “The Ironman side has been a little bit inconsistent with COVID which has made it difficult to manage a lot of things.”
Ineos Grenadiers brass continues to lean on Wurf’s experience to help fill gaps across the WorldTour calendar, while at the same time giving him the space to train for triathlon.
Last year, he was part of the winning team at Paris-Roubaix, and expects a busy spring before pivoting toward final Ironman preparation in the second half of 2023.
“Personally it’s really wonderful that the team’s going to give me some more freedom to do that and keep on top of my Ironman preparation and when I do get a clean window a nice high spot, whereas as the last few years has felt a bit like I’m doing everything I can to stay where I’m at,” Wurf said.
His 2022 Ironman didn’t play out the way he hoped, finishing 11th when he was hoping to be closer to the final podium and victory.
“I haven’t felt like I’ve been able to progress in the way I would have liked, so I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to learn from the last three years and what hasn’t worked for me on a personal side and what has as a team and find ways to be even better at that,” Wurf said of triathlon.
“I want to be part of bigger races, part of bigger success and a bigger role in my teammates’ success,” he said. “I feel if that I can do that for the team it will filter over to the Ironman and I’ll be a better athlete and better prepared when I get my own chances.”