An Inside Look at Becoming a Professional Cyclist

Think you've got what it takes to be a competitive cyclist? Here's a look at what it takes to join the ranks of the cycling pros:

Breaking Into the Pro Ranks

After a successful collegiate running career, Matt Busche hopped on a bicycle and stunned the cycling world in 2009 by rising from a Wisconsin-based amateur team to Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack in one season.

Despite this amazing Cinderella story, it's very rare for an athlete to become a professional cyclist without being groomed into one since adolescence. But even if you're not going to be a top international competitor, the life of an amateur competitive cyclist in America can still be very exciting and rewarding.

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Youth Development Program

For those of you youngsters out there with big dreams and fast legs—or parents of an aspiring champion—the most reputable organization for grooming youth cyclists is the USA Cycling Development program.

Jim Miller, V.P. of Athletics at USA Cycling, coached Kristin Armstrong during her 2008 Olympic run to the TT gold medal, and oversees the USA Cycling National Development Program, whose goal is building the next generation of American professional cyclists.

The NDP starts looking at kids as young as 13 and 14 years old in regional development programs across the country, as well as some cycling camps. If the kids look promising, they'll be invited to the NDP's race camp in Belgium for 15- and 16-year-olds.

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"At that point," Miller says, "We'll find some mature young kids that have already produced, as well as some young skinny kids that haven't matured yet but still have a motor."

One way they measure a rider's potential is by "estimated power wattage," which uses a formula of knowns and givens to estimate riders' potential power output. This is only estimation, not a direct measurement, but Miller believes that it's "an effective way to get some baseline numbers on kids."

If riders are still involved in the program by age 17 and 18, the training gets much more aggressive. They narrow the group down to 40 kids, Miller explains, and "they race 100 days a year in Europe, where they learn the roads they're going to be racing as a professional, and European racing techniques, which are drastically different."

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By the time these kids are on the under-23 team, it's significantly harder to stay in the group. Riders should know how to race a bike at this point and start learning pro tactics.

It's a very intense experience to go through this program and Miller admits, "It takes a good seven years to develop a rider into a pro tour rider."

The Amateur Ranks

Even if you're not one of the few riders cut out to make the pro tour, American racing is at a pretty high level. USA Cycling has a classification system for amateur riders that starts at "Cat 5" and goes to "Cat 1," the highest ranking.

A breakdown of the categories is as follows:

• Cat 5: Entry level. Any athlete with strong aerobic/anaerobic fitness can hang, usually upgraded if you win a race.
• Cat 4: Typical weekend warrior. Probably doesn't stay on the bike throughout the winter, just learning how to race and train.
• Cat 3: Intermediate level. Trains more consistently, has won a handful of races and placed a few top 10's.
• Cat 2: More elite. Much higher commitment level.
• Cat 1: Elite. "Probably looking at anywhere between 600 to 750 hours on a bike each year," Miller says.

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For more details on the demanding criteria of category upgrades, visit USA Cycling

Where to Start

Whatever level of cyclist you are or want to be, the first step of your journey should be finding a coach in your area. Coaches can help you navigate inevitable errors and point you in the right direction. Remember, success as a competitor does not automatically make someone a good coach, so do some research to find a cycling coach to meet your needs.

There are also several regional development camps that will expose you to some valuable people and resources in the sport of cycling. Check out USA Cycling to find a camp near you.

Life Skills

Even if you don't make it all the way to the top as a competitive cyclist, it's a very positive sport that can benefit you in several non-athletic ways. Long training rides require discipline as they cut into time for other activities, so cyclists tend to learn excellent time-management skills, and are very detail-oriented and self-motivating.

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