Homes of Hope assigned our group two experienced builders who assigned tasks so that everybody always had a hammer or brush in a hand. My first thought was, "Good thing there are some rowers and triathletes here for the heavy lifting." Still, none of us had building experience. The stacks of shingles, 2x4s, and drywall dumbfounded me. I expected to see oversized Lincoln Logs and boards with pre-threaded screw holes. Twenty-three of us, including Olympians in cycling, track and field, and rowing, piled out of vans onto the building site in late December. When Guy told me that he and Todd Henriksen of AIA Cycling were organizing a four-day trip for athletes to build a home for a family in Tijuana, Mexico, I signed up. Ironically, Guy ended up at El Puente, a mission base in Nicaragua, where I went during my first ambitious offseason as a full-time pro cyclist. He worked his way through Central America to Nicaragua, serving in orphanages, soup kitchens and through local outreaches. He gave up professional cycling, sold almost all of his belongings, and bought a one-way ticket to Puerto Rico. Guy East, a former teammate on Trek-Livestrong, struggled seeing destitute poverty as he traveled for racing. Yet, after over nine months of hammerhead training, racing and recovering, the couch is very seductive and lethargy soon follows. I fantasize about all the great things I'll do during my offseason. From that perspective, straddling my $10,000 Trek Madone humbles me. Immersed in cycling culture, it's easy to forget that many people dream of owning a bike simply for transportation. But since leaving Virginia Tech in 2009 to pursue my goal of a ProTour contract, the sport has consumed me.įrom the season's beginning in early January to its end in late October, I break my daily routine - eat, sleep, ride - only for international travel and team events. LUCCA, Italy - My parents raised me to be well rounded, which has helped me adapt to new countries, cultures, languages, teammates and circumstances since I became a pro cyclist. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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