First of all, can you introduce yourself: who are you, what do you do for living and how do you combine your passion for cycling with your professional life?

S.P.: My name is Şeniz Pamuk, I’m Turkish and I’m 37 years old. I work in finance for a global company. And I have the chance to work remotely, which makes my cycling life much more easier : I can manage my training times, I could eat well, I could sleep well, and we know how recovery is important. My company is also promoting working life balance, so they are really supporting me in my cycling activities. It’s very convenient because I can manage both my career and my hobby.

Can you tell us more about your sport background ? And, or course, your relation to cycling ?

S.P.: I have been cycling since 2019, but I have been doing sports actively since 2012. Before cycling, I was going to the gym, and I was lifting weights almost every days. But in 2017, my gym closed and I had to find another sport activity! So, I went out and start running. I felt so happy with running and I started to get addicted. I wanted to train as much as I used to do with the gym, but unfortunately running isn’t the same sport and require more rest. In addition, I couldn’t really improve, although I was running every day. I needed to find something better. Then, I remembered my indoor cycling sessions at the gym. I used to love it, and I was also pretty good. And, this is how I bought my first bike and started cycling!

Thanks to my spinning sessions experience at the gym, I was not a true beginner and I realized that I was already good at cycling. I also liked the different types of trainings, the possibility to train often with some easier recovery rides, to vary between flat sections or climbs, … In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, I was doing home trainer almost every days through indoor cycling applications, and I really enjoyed it. I survived the lockdown thanks to cycling. Even today, I’m still a bit an indoor cyclist and most of my trainings are done on the home trainer!

With indoor cycling, I started to get better and better. So after the lockdowns, I decided to attend races. It was fun, but my results wasn’t as good as I expected. But two years ago, I decided to hire a coach, which clearly made me become much stronger. And after that, I started to achieve great results. In 2024, I certainly had my most successful season with my victory on L’Étape Türkiye by Tour de France.

I survived the lockdown thanks to cycling. Even today, I’m still a bit an indoor cyclist and most of my trainings are done on the home trainer!

How would you define your cycling profile ? Are you more a sprinter or a climber?

S.P.: I’m not a sprinter. I’m much more an endurance rider with a ‘diesel’ motor. As I mostly train in Zone 2, I can go with the same pace for hours. I also love to climb, and I always try to be lighter and stronger to get better. But, I hate downhills, and I’m not good at it, mostly because I usually do indoor cycling so I don’t have very good skills in the descents. That’s a thing that I need to improve!

Like most of the cyclists, you are on Strava. What is your relation with this social media? Are you just here to share your rides, or do you consider yourself as a 'QOM chaser'?

S.P.: Of course I do! I even had fights with other riders to get a QOM! I take it very seriously. So yes, you can definitely consider me as a ‘QOM chaser’. I’m chasing every segments, every QOMs, here in Türkiye!

... and how many crowns do you have ?

S.P.: I don’t know how many crowns I have on Strava, I have so much! (Editor’s note : after checking, Şeniz currently own 959 crowns …!). But it’s also because there are not many cyclists here in Türkiye, especially among ladies.

What is the hardest climb you ever done? And why ?

S.P.: In Türkiye, we have a very thought climb located in the Asian part of the country called “Mount Babadağ” (18,4km @10,3%). It’s generally part of the Tour of Türkiye queen stage, and I remember that even professional cyclist like Mark Cavendish was struggling because it was too steep. There are cobblestones sections, and the inclination can reach almost 20%! Climbing Babadağ is very hard, it gives you so much pain on your back, and at some point it is very hard to pedal. And if you stop, it’s impossible to start again! Mentally, it's also very hard and you have to resist and not giving up despite the pain. This was definitely the hardest one that I ever climbed!

Talking about mental, how do you prepare yourself for such an effort? Do you have any mental training?

S.P.: For me, it’s about convincing yourself, convincing your brain that the pain will be over soon. I’m also doing Time-Trial races. Of course, TT and climbs are different but from a mental point of view, it’s all about producing the maximum power and pushing until it’s done. I always try to think about the final happiness that will come after. That’s what makes me not giving up, to know that I’ll be happier if I finish it.

For me, it’s about convincing yourself, convincing your brain that the pain will be over soon. [...] That’s what makes me not giving up, to know that I’ll be happier if I finish it.

Do you have any cycling idol or model among the Tour de France pro-riders that inspires you? And why ?

S.P.: Yes, of course. Among the male riders, it’s Mathieu Van der Poel. And Demi Vollering in the women peloton. Both of them are Dutch! Even if they have different cycling styles, I like their attitude. They are both calm in any situation. When Demi lost the Tour de France for 4 seconds, she remained so quiet … If I was her, I’d have behaved much worst! I wish I could be a competitor like her.

What tips would you give to a beginner that is starting cycling ? Or to someone who’s hesitating to start cycling ?

S.P.: I have three main tips. First, I’d recommend them to be patient, because it requires time and consistency to get some results. Then, sleep and nutrition are key. You can train 6 hours per day, but if you don’t sleep well or if you are not taking care of your diet, you won’t have positive results. Finally, I’d recommend to try cycling with indoor trainings, because it’s the easiest and most efficient way to start training with a short period of time.

Let’s talk about training : what is your bike and how many kilometers do you ride per year?

S.P.: My bike is a Specialized S-WORKS Tarmac SL6. In general, I ride between 18.000km and 20.000km per year. Actually, when you think about it, it’s 'just' 50km per day!

You have mentioned the importance of nutrition. Are you following a specific diet program ?

S.P.: I don’t have a specific program, but I try to have a balanced diet, even if I’m not fan of meat. So, my main challenge is to get much more plant protein. However, I’m not vegan. Before races, I’m just eating oats, which is perfect for me as I usually train with empty stomach in the morning. Then during the races, most of my nutrition is done through energy drinks.

In 2024, you rode successfully L’Étape Türkiye. Was it your first L’Étape Series event? When did you hear about the series for the first time?

S.P.: Actually, I discovered the series in 2022 when I registered for L’Étape Slovenia! Unfortunately, I had a crash and I wasn’t able to attend the event. Then, of course I rode L’Étape Türkiye last year, and it was absolutely perfect, especially because of the Bosphorus Bridge that links the Asian and European continents. And of course, I won the race so it’s was very nice! I already registered for the 2025 edition!

And now, L’Étape du Tour is in few months … What’s your training program for the race?

S.P.: Actually, I haven’t started the specific training yet; for now, I’m only doing 90 minutes per day. But I’ll soon start to train more, and mostly longer. I’ll need at least 5 hours to finish L’Étape du Tour, so I need to familiarize myself with long rides. The weather is now getting better in Türkiye, so I’ll go outside to train for longer hours, in order to get ready for race day. Also, I need to train again my nutrition on the bike, because I haven’t consumed a single gel since the end of the last season. I’ll also have some races to train before L’Étape du Tour. My season will start with a first race on April 19^th, with lots of elevation gain. I hope to start well the season with a podium!

It’s the opportunity to ride in places you wouldn’t have the chance to discover on the bike [...] Attending a L’Étape Series’ event, it’s also taking part in an international cycling event with a perfect organization.

Did you already ride L’Étape du Tour? What is your ambition for this year edition between Albertville and La Plagne ?

S.P.: No, it will be my first time on L’Étape du Tour. My objective will be mostly to enjoy it, because I never attended this race before. I know that it’s going to be a very tough race, with many strong riders, but I’ll try to focus on my own pace!

Why would you recommend L’Étape Series’ event?

S.P.: Because these races are amazing! It’s the opportunity to ride in places you wouldn’t have the chance to discover on the bike, like for example the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. The bridge is usually closed to cyclists and only accessible for cars, but thank to L’Étape Türkiye we had the chance to cross it! Attending a L’Étape Series’ event, it’s also taking part in an international cycling event with a perfect organization.