WHEN people in Moree talk about the local velodrome, the conversation always turns to the Sutton brothers.

Always.

Gary and Shane Sutton cut their teeth at the Moree track, down the southern end of the perfectly-named Endeavour Lane.

Cycling royalty returned home last week, when Gary Sutton rode into town for a few days to catch up with family and friends.

The champion coach, back firmly on Australian soil after guiding the US Women’s Team Pursuit to Gold medals at the Paris Olympics, met with Moree Online News at his old stomping ground early Saturday.

As Sutton stepped from his vehicle, he paused and peered across the velodrome site.

Cracked concrete remnants of the steep, banked cycling track are still there. They ooze decades of Moree sporting history. Champions were made here – Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and state and national champions.

And the Sutton brothers were made here.

Gary and Shane Sutton played pivotal roles in making Moree the cycling capital of Australia back in the late 1960s and 1970s.

“Gee, there are some memories here . . . this is where it all began,” Sutton said softly.

Now 69, and as fit and agile as a man half his age, Sutton recalled those landmark days.

It’s a cool November morning – unusual for Moree – and Sutton wants to talk.

He’s spent the last seven years in the United States creating world champions. Now he’s home with a story to tell – an incredible story.

“Moree was one of the biggest clubs in Australia when I started in 1968,” Sutton said.

“I was surrounded by legends, and helped by legends. Blokes like Donny Faulkner, the great Killer Cain and my club coach, Ronny Nevins . . . all great people.”

Sutton has treasured memories of the early days.

“Everyone has a story to tell and everyone must start somewhere,” he said.

“When I began in 1968, I was the worst cyclist in the Moree club. But through good people like Donny and Ronny, I improved.

“I started on 145-metres in the handicap races which means I was pretty ordinary, but I loved riding and always wanted to get better.”

Defining decade

The 1970s was a defining, career-shaping decade for the Sutton brothers.

In 1978, Gary and Shane, Colin Fitzgerald and Kevin Nichols competed at the Moree Easter Carnival of Sport – one of the biggest sporting carnivals in New South Wales back in the day.

Nearly six months later, they teamed up and won Gold in the Team Pursuit at the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“That year, Shane and I did well at the Games in Edmonton. It was a great moment. We smashed the games record and Shane also won a silver medal in the 10-mile Championship. Shane was actually better than me in those days, but he partied a little too much,” Sutton grinned.

Shane Sutton has been around the world a few times, too.

He was a member of the first British-based professional team to enter the Tour de France in 1987 and also won the 1990 Milk Race, a prestigious, high-calibre multi-stage UK cycling event sponsored by the Milk Marketing Board, and now known as the Tour of Britain.

Later, Shane coached with Welsh Cycling, British Cycling and Team Sky. As British Cycling technical director, he helped the team win eight Gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics – the same number his team collected at the Beijing Olympics four years earlier. In total, 16 Gold medals, thanks to a boy from Moree.

“Shane was in the top 10 in the world in certain events,” Sutton said proudly.

“He is now one of the most successful Olympic Games coaches of all time and, without doubt, one of the greatest motivators.

“I’m so proud of him and everything he’s done . . . he would’ve made a great football or soccer coach.”

Shane’s home-base is Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands off Spain. He spends much of the year coaching in China.

“He is doing so well and enjoying life, and we talk every few days no matter where we are in the world,” Sutton said.

“He’s been offered the head coaching job in China but isn’t interested. He coaches a small regional team, which just happened to beat the national team last year.”

Moree is still home

Gary Sutton is a bloke that’s taken on the world a few times over.

More often than not, he’s come out on top. The cream always does.

At home, he was an Australian champion 28 times and four-times winner of the two-day Grafton Tour.

He won the Goulburn to Sydney Classic in 1982, the Bendigo International Madison with brother Shane in 1983 and the Herald Sun Tour the following year.

Abroad, Sutton competed in the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. He won the amateur World Championship Points Race in 1980 as well as Stage 3 of the Yorkshire Classic at Harrogate, England in 1984.

Winning Gold at Edmonton with brother Shane, Colin Fitzgerald and Kevin Nichols was a crowning achievement – until Paris 2024 loomed large.

“Paris is at the top of my list,” he said.

But for all the fame, all the glory, and all the Gold medals as competitor and coach, Sutton has never forgotten where he came from.

He’s never forgotten his roots and he’s never forgotten Moree.

“It is such a great town, with great people and opportunities, and I’m so proud to say I’m from Moree,” Sutton said.

“The Moree people helped me and my family so much when I needed help in the early days. Bush people will give you the shirt off their back and help each other when help is needed.

“I’ve never forgotten where I came from.”

Sutton’s early days weren’t a bed of roses, not by any stretch of the imagination.

There were no walk-up starts or gifted opportunities, and no cashed-up sponsors ready to bankroll a kid from the bush.

“There are so many great people from this great town that helped and made me the person I am today,” Sutton said.

“I was heading down the wrong path, always in trouble at school and in trouble with the police.

“My family, friends, school teachers, members of the cycling and football clubs, and the police helped me so much.

“We had very little growing up – only love for each other and our families. We didn’t go without, but we weren’t well off by any means,” he said.

Sutton tries to come home at least once a year.

This is the bloke who three months ago as Team US cycling coach, stood alongside Jennifer Valente, Chloe Dygert, Lily Williams and Kristen Faulkner when they were presented with Gold medals for winning the Women’s Team Pursuit at the Paris Olympics.

“I love coming home,” Sutton says fondly. And he means it.

His mum, Doreen, turns 87 this weekend and still puts on a Sunday morning spread for family, friends, gate-crashers and anyone else lucky enough – or smart enough – to be in the neighbourhood at the right time.

“I’ve been home just about every year since I left. I value every minute with all my family and friends. I love and miss my family . . . they have all been so supportive,” Sutton said.

“When I was a kid, I looked up to my uncles, Ronny and Sonny Clissold. As athletes and coaches, they were always there for me, along with so many other people in this great town. They protected me and always pulled me into line . . . and sometimes it worked,” he smiled.

From Moree to Paris

Gary Sutton’s remarkable journey from the backblocks of Moree to the international cycling stage reached its pinnacle when the team he coached, the US Women’s Pursuit, won Gold at Paris.

“I made a commitment to the US for three years and stayed for seven, and enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.

“Being the coach in Paris was very special. Coaching for me is easy. There are so many other aspects you must deal with, away from coaching, which can impact the team result or final outcome on the journey to Gold.

“The list is a mile long. My two main goals as a coach are always to help improve the athletes on and off the bike. Make sure they know I’m there for them 100 per cent. Then there’s the journey. Always keeping an eye on the big prize – the Gold,” he said.

“You know at some stage of the journey, you are not going to be in your comfort zone or things might not go the way you want.

“I was so happy for the athletes who worked so hard for four years.

“There are so many highs and lows in sport as well as life. The team had to deal with so much on the journey and, at the end of the day, they came through it all.

“Also, I was proud of the staff. They committed so much time and energy and lived on the edge.

“I learned in the early days in Moree, and the  early days of coaching, if you surround yourself with great people, the outcomes will be good.”

Working with an elite team on a path to the Olympic Games is no cakewalk. But at that level, cakewalks are not expected.

“The team trained around 30 to 40 hours a week. Dealing with different personalities and getting them to believe in my vision, and believe in themselves, was hard at times,” Sutton said.

“There were a lot of individual sessions and given what they did away from the track – watching videos, gym, and road training and recovery work – it’s more like 50 hours a week.”

Sutton said team training was between 50 kilometres and 140 kilometres daily, with track sessions up to three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.

“They also went to the gym three days a week for one or two hours,” he said.

“The athletes I work with are self-motivated. They all want the same thing. They all want to be better and their work ethic is at another level.

“I guess that’s why they are Olympic champions. The great Chloe Dygert, who was part of the winning team, would always say ‘doing her best is never good enough’.”

Home life

Sutton still surrounds himself with great people, and there’s none greater than family.

“My wife, Debby, is also from the bush . . . a little place called Binnaway near Coonabarabran,” Sutton said.

“We met in Sydney when I lived with her uncle and aunty at Hurstville.”

Sutton’s daughter, Angela, lives in Moree and a son, Chris, has a bike shop in Ramsgate.

Another daughter, Amy, and her partner Jeff, live south of Sydney.

“They have a son, Ziggy, who just turned one, and Angela’s kids, Mason and Phoenix, go to the same school I went to 60 years ago,” Sutton smiled.

“Chris and his wife, Jill, have three boys. Chris was also a very successful rider in Europe. He won some of the biggest races and rode for Team Sky. I honestly think he was better than Shane and myself.”

Sutton says switching off from the daily grind, where coaching is sometimes around-the-clock, is tantamount to success – in life as well as out on the track.

“I always give myself one hour a day with no phone and no interruptions. This was Deb’s idea and I normally go for a walk with Deb or ride my bike. I give Deb the credit here; she’s always held the family together. We’ve been married for 46 years. Deb is my rock and my biggest supporter,” Sutton said warmly.

“There is no ‘bike talk’ in the house, or very little, and when the kids were young we always had dinner together as a family at the table, not in front of the television. We shared stories that happened at school or during the day. We loved it, and still do it today when we all come together,” he said.

The journey to Paris

Sutton plays down his role in the US women’s pursuit team’s history-making statement in Paris.

The US squad medalled in every Women’s Team Pursuit event since the race was introduced to the Olympics’ schedule in 2012, but Gold proved elusive – until Paris.

“I only played a small part in the journey,” Sutton said.

“It was nice to be a part of history, and I went to the US with a dream and a vision.

“I believe there are two types of coaches. A good coach will tell you what you want to hear, and a great coach will tell you what you don’t want to hear.

“I like to think I’m the second coach,” he smiled.

“I also know as a coach, you’re only as good as your athletes, and I worked with four of the best athletes in the world. It would be fair to say, two of them are the greatest of all time in certain aspects of our sport.

“It was an honour to be the US coach, just as it was to be the Australian coach, and I was always proud of this team, even when things didn’t go so well,” he said.

“They always kept their standards very high, even in defeat, and always gave 100 per cent at every training session. This team was like a family to me and Deb.

“Yes, it was an amazing outcome in Paris. I always had pride in making sure the athletes were well-supported by having the best staff in the world around them.”

Family is everything

For all the accolades, for all the Gold medals, and for all the back-slapping and cheering along the way, Sutton says his global success comes back to one thing – family.

“Mum is going strong and still living in Moree. She’ll soon be 87 and has been the best mum of all time. She has held this family together,” Sutton said.

“Uncle Ronny and aunty Helen, and uncle Sonny and aunty Fay, have lived in Moree all their lives and my brother, Steele, is in town with his family as well.”

Steele is doing great things redeveloping the velodrome site. He’s president of the new Moree Riders’ Club, which this month held four come-and-try days to launch the concept.

The results have been mind-boggling, with more than 40 kids and twice as many parents and carers arriving en masse each time.

“I’m very proud of Steele and what he is doing for the community,” Sutton said.

“When you bring people together and involve as many kids and parents as possible, good things happen.

“My sister Julie and husband Allan are also here, and so is their daughter, Lizzie and son Luke. You wouldn’t meet nicer people. They give so much to the community and people in need.”

The family’s love of community continues. It’s generational. Allan and Julie’s son, Luke, in recent years has been instrumental in raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Black Dog Institute.

“Luke just helped organise the Moree to Pally walk and, with the help of a lot of wonderful people, raised $40,000. That’s an incredible achievement. I hope to be back next year to take part in the walk,” Sutton said.

Sutton peers across the old Moree velodrome and fondly remembers the names and personalities associated with the historic site.

“I know Shane and I did well here, but I was also proud of my great friend and mate, Geoff Skaines. He’s a Moree boy and was one of Australia’s top cyclists.

“It was such a big thing when Geoff and I were selected for the Montreal Olympics in 1976 – two boys from Moree.”

And again, the generous Moree community was there for them.

“Moree Service Club helped us financially and so did Michael Deery from the Royal Hotel,” Sutton said.

“There were some great cyclists to come out of Moree, including Tommy Cain, the legend, and the Faulkner brothers, Don and Chris.

“Don was so good to me when I was a kid and Ray Brown would always kick my butt in the under-14s. He could’ve achieved what Shane, Geoff and I achieved. He was such a talent.

“My cousin, John Clissold, was an Australian champion from Moree who represented New South Wales and Australia on many occasions.

“There’s also the Smith family who lived across the road from us in Chester Street. Russell and Dale were great riders as well,” Sutton said.

Moree’s homegrown world champion says his role as coach, mentor and father figure to hundreds, maybe thousands, of athletes over the years far outweighs his success as a competitor on the track.

“It sounds crazy, but I’m prouder of my coaching record and coaching achievements more than my cycling achievements,” Sutton said.

“At one point, I was world champion and second four times, but my coaching journey has been so rewarding.

“I’ve coached more than 100 world and Olympic champions which makes me proud, but I also like to think I’ve made them better people, or was there for them when things got tough and they needed help and advice.”

The Sutton philosophies

Sutton’s self-taught philosophies have guided him through good times as well as bad over the years.

“Keep challenging yourself every day. Like life, you never stop learning. If you want to be the best, be prepared for more bad days than good,” he said.

“You will make mistakes but you’ll learn from them, and the next day will always be a different day.

“Have dreams and chase them and surround yourself with great people. Get back up when you’re knocked down and reach out to people when you need help – that’s very important.

“Be honest and say it how it is, and always be a good listener – I believe I can still be better at this, sometimes,” he chuckles.

“My main goals are to make athletes better athletes as well as better people, and to teach them ‘never say never’.

“I’ve been knocked down a few times, probably more than most people, but I kept getting up, and looking ahead.

“I’m a person that won’t end up with a sore neck, looking back,” he said.

Inspiring

Sutton’s journey has been – and still is – inspiring, and will be for years to come.

“When I started in the sport in 1967 I never thought I would travel the world, go to nine Olympic Games as an athlete, commentator and coach, or train more than 100 world and Olympic champions,” he said.

“It’s been such a dream, a dream that started in 1968 when I was 13 years old and watching Aussie cyclist Hilton Clark on television compete at the Mexico Olympics. I remember saying to my father, Ted, ‘I will go to the Olympics one day’.

“At the time, I was a cyclist with a little bit of potential but big on dreams. We didn’t have a lot in those days, so I guess that’s why I had those dreams.

“Incredibly, years later Hilton Clark became a close, personal friend. We are still friends to this day, and I also coached one of his sons, Johnny.”

All kids have heroes, and Garry Sutton was lucky. All his heroes were right at his doorstep.

“I wanted to be a Danny Shearer or like my two uncles, Ronny and Sonny,” he said.

“Danny was my idol back then, and still is today.

“I was lucky enough to catch up with Danny this trip. It was a buzz, and brought back so many memories.”

Ronny and Sonny Clissold are Moree coaching icons. Sutton never needed to go far when seeking sage advice.

“Uncle Sonny gave me some advice when I left Moree all those years ago and they are words I’ve never forgotten.

“He said, ‘you’ll meet a lot of people on the way up. But remember, you’ll meet them on the way down, too’.”

Back home

Gary and Debby Sutton are now back home in Australia, and settled in Adelaide.

Sutton reckons he’s going to start renovating the family  home – a thought that frightens the hell out of Debby.

“For the moment, we will have a good rest and enjoy as much time as we can with family and friends,” Sutton said.

“I would love to still be involved with Australian Cycling. I believe I can still make a difference.

“I loved my time in the US and working with two of the greatest leaders of all time in our sport, Jim Miller and Craig Griffin.

“They’re both up there with my brother, Shane – great leaders. Jim coached Kristin Armstrong, who won three Gold medals at three different Olympic Games.”

Sutton contemplates the future and where it might take him. He still has so much more to give to the sport.

“I think Paris was probably my last Olympics, but you never say never,” he smiled.

Words: Bill Poulos