Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – July 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
When I'm out in the world away from cycling and get asked what I do for work, sometimes I lie and say I'm in sales. That probably sounds stupid, but when I'm honest and announce that I'm a professional cyclist, that inevitably leads to questions. "Wow, how cool!" people say. "What's that like? Do you love it?" The last time somebody asked this, it was less than a week after my crash and collarbone surgery, when I was in pain, concussed, drugged, constipated, bruised, and not sleeping. YES, I thought, I AM LIVING THE FREAKING DREAM. "It can be great...at times," I replied tactfully. While I actually do love my job and feel proud to be a professional cyclist, sometimes I just don't feel like answering the usual questions. When my dental hygienist is elbow-deep in my mouth, explaining the concept of a crit feels tiring. When I'm getting my ...continue reading.

Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – June 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
Months ago, I was typing out these columns while pedaling on a trainer, dreaming of where this year would go. I say "dreaming" because everything I envisioned was good; strong rides, podiums, team wins, a season calibrated to make the most of a hard winter of training and renewed determination to take on an aggressive race schedule. I'd lost weight, dropped a bad ex-boyfriend, shed the huge baggage of paying for a condo that I hadn't occupied in years. Nobody fantasizes about having a shitty year. Nobody makes dream boards about failure and injuries and setbacks. I was marinating in an imaginary stew of success. The year is not going quite as expected. I'm back on the trainer and it's late May; my plans for the season hadn't accounted for reverting back to my CycleOps as the only way of working out thanks to an untimely crash. Who wants to ...continue reading.

Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – Amgen TOC 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
My Amgen Tour of California ended midway through Stage 2, and it was entirely my fault. The day before, I'd ridden myself into the ground through Stage 1 chasing the Most Courageous Rider jersey. My body felt terrible from the start, but I ignored the overwhelming desire to sit down on the side of the road in favor of launching attacks, following moves, and bridging to everything that got away. By the end, my legs were trashed. But the work was worthwhile, as my teammate won the jersey by nailing a timely solo counterattack. All that mattered is that Hagens Berman | Supermint landed on the podium; the detail of who put on the shirt was irrelevant. It was a win. The price was that I felt like crap from the gun on the next day's stage. I punched my ticket on the struggle bus and rode it all day ...continue reading.

Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – May 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
I just watched a team director hang his underwear to dry along the balcony of the Copper Manor Motel. From this vantage point, I count three team trailers, one U-haul, four team vans, three team cars, and a few dozen bikes. Soigneurs are carrying bags of laundry and washing coolers and bottles, while mechanics service bikes and reload trailers. Motel room doors are propped open and I can see a few riders sprawled out on beds or slumped in chairs. It's mid-afternoon in the middle of Tour of the Gila in Silver City, NM but this scene will unfold a hundred more times at stage races around the world. This is like going backstage at the circus. This is where the lions and clowns sleep at night. Cycling media shows you the surface of stage racing; the scenic photos, the results from each day, the shifts in the General Classification ...continue reading.

Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – April 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
There are a few questions I am often asked about the mechanics of running a professional cycling team. Before I dive into the intense block of Pro Tour races that make up the American spring and summer, I'd like to answer those and clear up a few misconceptions. Obviously these answers are based on my experiences; running a WorldTour men's team is probably a lot different. For starters, my secretary would be jotting down these answers with a Montblanc pen instead of me pecking away on an iPhone while I log more hours on my CycleOps. Oh, to live the dream. What's it like to run a team? Probably similar to how you feel about your job. Sometimes it's rewarding and fun. Sometimes I want to sell the riders on eBay and run screaming from the sport. These extremes can happen by noon on the same day. Like any job, ...continue reading.

Peloton Magazine: Unvarnished Tales of a Pro Cyclist – March 2017

Posted on by Lindsay
In two hours and four minutes, I’m starting the final event of the Chico Stage Race, the downtown criterium. This isn’t anything new; I’ve started dozens of crits. But this time, I’m in the yellow jersey, defending a General Classification lead of two seconds with the help of six teammates. We also have a strong lead in the sprint competition. If all goes well, we’ll end this weekend with both jerseys. Holy shitballs, I’m in shock. Not because I doubt my team. My teammates are strong, talented riders. But I’ve never been in a yellow jersey before, and certainly not while representing the team we built from scratch. It's such a weird feeling that I'm hardly even nervous. ********** Things did not start out ideally this weekend. When I got to Chico on Thursday after a 9-hour drive, all I felt like doing was going for a recovery spin and ...continue reading.