Kiwi track cyclist Pieter Bulling is walking away from the sport at the age of just 24, taking a hard line stance against Cycling New Zealand.
Having won gold in the team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships in France as well as a fourth placed finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bulling was among New Zealand's best hopes for a cycling medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Speaking exclusively to 1 NEWS today, Bulling spoke openly about his decision to pull the plug on his career just two years out from the 2020 Olympics, admitting a lack of confidence in the sport's governing body in New Zealand.
"I started to lose trust within the programme," he said.
"I wasn't quite happy where things were going for the next four year cycle, and the way I look at it, you need four years of really good quality work.
"The way I saw it and the way I looked at it, we lost a really good quality year. So for me, I felt to step away right now would be the best time."
Bulling says that the high turnover of support staff within New Zealand played a key part in his decision, with the lack of continuity affecting his ability to perform at the level he requires.
Head coach Dayle Cheatley left at the end of 2017, while High Performance Director Mark Elliott also walked away - along with a dozen others.
"You need consistency. You need the same coach. You need the same strength and conditioning. You need the same management."
"You need that consistency for that three-four year cycle, and when the staff chopping and changing all the time you start going forward and then another one comes in so you have to go backwards then you start that process again."
While Bulling's decision isn't necessarily final, the 24-year old says that the desire to help younger riders coming through almost made him re-think his want to call time on his career.
"It was not easy to leave - I can tell you that."
"I really wanted to stick around and help those younger guys, because I could see the talent they had. But when it started effecting me the way it was and the way things were going within the programme it just came down, to time to leave, time to get out."
Bulling will now turn his attention towards driving Shotover Jet boats in Queenstown, but says that he still wishes his former teammates all the best.
"I just hope that the programme can look after those young guys and I hope they do prove me wrong - I'm sure they will."
Cycling New Zealand responded to Bulling, saying that they are putting the building blocks in place for the sport's future.
"The proof of the pudding will be in the eating but the signs for the future are promising," they said in a statement.
"Our new men's endurance squad, with an average age of only 19 years, won a World Cup in a world class time which leaves them well on track more than two years out from Tokyo."
SHARE ME