This sport is so good at testing us every day. There are so many variables to go through. Staying healthy, staying on a team, staying motivated. It’s very testing. The biggest challenge I’ve had to go through really set the tone for my career. It happened even before I got started.

The race also marks the return of Brent Bookwalter and Kilian Frankiny, both of whom were injured late last season. Bookwalter suffered a head injury in a crash at the Tour of Britain and had to renounce his place in the USA team for Worlds. It was his first experience with a concussion, he said, and his recovery took a bit longer than expected.

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. We speak with pro rider Brent Bookwalter (BMC) about how he fits weight lifting into his busy travel schedule.

As one of only two Americans to make the men's road team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brent Bookwalter knows the odds are stacked against him for a podium spot, but the first-time Olympian is ready to give his best and hope he can pull off something special.

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — When Olympic cyclists hit the road in Rio this weekend, Rockford native Brent Bookwalter will be among them.