Brendan Johnston, off-road cyclist

This week, Payson is joined by one of the Australian riders in this year’s Grand Prix, Brendan Johnston. Brendan dominated the marathon mountain biking scene in Australia for several years, winning the national title no fewer than four times and winning 19 consecutive races between 2015 and 2017. He’s also dabbled in road racing, finishing third at the 2022 National Championships in a stacked field. After juggling cycling alongside a full-time career, Brendan decided to focus on riding this year and moved across the world to compete in the Grand Prix. 

In this conversation, he talks to Payson about becoming disillusioned with World Cup XC early on, finding a niche within the domestic Australian scene, and deciding to take a break from a stable career down under to try his hand at American gravel. He talks about the difficult transition, how a frustrating ride at Unbound led him to double down a little too hard on training, and the turning point he had last month that changed the course of his season.