A quick little attempt at debunking some of those cycling rumors I hear floating around. Why shave my legs? Sunglasses + helmet straps? Easy training rides? Can you out train a bad diet?

My first bike was a 20” BMX-style bike, a Schwinn Predator. I rode it with training wheels at first, and it was the bike I learned to ride without training wheels on. I remember learning how to ride in the yard around our house, at a park, or on a neighborhood street.

The Olympics kick off Friday in PyeongChang, and my life has been tied to the Olympics since the beginning, particularly the Winter Games. I was born during the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. On the night I was born, Bill Johnson became the first American man to win an Olympic gold media in alpine skiing when he won the downhill. He was the first racer (male or female) from outside the Alps to win an Olympic downhill.

Since 2011, BMC Racing Team has stayed at the same hotel in Denia, Spain for camp. It’s nice having a go-to spot that welcomes us. We are outside of the city and a little off the coast. It’s quiet and they let us take over.

Behind every successful athlete, there typically is a mentor. I’ve been fortunate to have so many great people in my corner that it was impossible to pick merely one great mentor.

After BMC’s December training camp in Spain, I headed back to the USA for the holidays where the weather has made it particularly challenging to train. This time of year, consistency is super important.  I’ve learned I must maintain quality in my workouts despite the weather, so I balance trainer workouts with getting creative outside on a mountain bike or cyclocross bike.

A few moments stick out as peaks and high points but definitely being selected as the team leader for the Tour of California was one of those standout moments for the 2017 season.

It feels like the time I have truly off or to really rest shrinks every year.

The moments before and after the crash are a little fuzzy.  I remember rounding a corner, and at the exit, the two riders in front of me split to the left and right. The car was immediately in front of me.

The Binge reminds me why I started riding and racing in the first place.