Coming into 2017, Troy Brosnan is a busy man. Just days after he announced his new team he rolled into Awaba to win the first round of the Australian Nationals and he’s now off around the globe to do some testing in France.

We’re heading over to meet the Canyon team for an in-depth discussion next week but we thought we’d take the opportunity to grab a quick chat with Troy as he cruised above the globe at 39,000 feet.

We only managed a quick interview but it’s clear that Brosnan is fired up for the year ahead. Here’s what he had to say:

How did it feel saying goodbye to Specialized after such a long time with them?

It was hard at first and a bit scary for me to leave somewhere I have been for so long. After talking about it with my family for weeks it was the right time to move on and take my racing to the next level.

Were you approached by a lot of teams looking to sign you?

I was approached by a few teams but there was only Canyon that stood out with a structure I was looking for.

They were designing a team around a top rider and I wanted that to be me. I have had a lot to do with the behind the scenes development with this team and the company is bad ass!

Were you nervous about riding a bike that’s unproven on the World Cup circuit?

Not at all. I know Fabien designed this bike and he knows how to ride a bike so I didn’t even second guess it.

How are you feeling about working under a dh legend like Fabien Barel? What do you think he can bring to the team?

Fabien is a really focussed/ driven person that wants to win. His knowledge behind testing and little pieces to the puzzle make my riding accelerated and learning much faster. He has been a World Champion before and I’m sure we will be World Champion on this team aboard the Sender.

What are your goals for the season ahead?

Firstly I want to just have fun and show the World Cup circuit what this bike can do.

I want to win.