Six months ago, Mark Stewart was ready to give up his career as a pro road cyclist and join a lower level Japanese team. He was done with the “penny pinching” of ProTeams, frustrated by a lack of professionalism and the uncertainty of sponsors in cycling’s second tier. “I sort of thought, ‘If this is being pro, count me out’,” he says. Besides, Japan seemed fun – he won a race there last June.
“I basically had a contract and just needed to sign it from the Japanese team,” Stewart says. “And then Riley Pickrell, a training mate, said to me last August, ‘Hey, I think Modern Adventure are essentially looking for you. They’ve got two more spots to fill, and they’re looking for an English-speaking, experienced rider who's good for the culture and will take minimum wage’,” he adds with a laugh. “Literally, within a week, I had signed.”
