To say Lauren Stephens is an all-rounder falls in need of capturing the true variety she shows on a bicycle as it is a rider at residence on the highway, in a time trial, on the gravel or off-road on the mountain bike. After 11 seasons as knowledgeable bike owner, she has gained US nationwide championships – highway and gravel – a continental highway championship in addition to particular person highway levels and multi-day GC titles.
Stephens has competed at world championships throughout three disciplines – highway, gravel and marathon mountain bike. She’s making her debut as a part of the invited subject on the Life Time Grand Prix off-road collection within the US and starting the early season in Europe on the highway. The pavement is a key precedence this season, at the least earlier than Unbound Gravel in early June.
“My predominant focus this yr is attempting to make the Olympic group, by the use of the time trial. The US has two spots so my predominant focus is that. So up till Nationals, all my focus is on the time trial and on the highway,” Stephens informed Cyclingnews.
“Going into this yr, I did not actually know precisely what I wished. I wasn’t positive if I wished to proceed on the highway. So I actually wished to maintain my choices open, which was my cause to use for the Life Time Grand Prix, however for now that is going to be the enjoyable aspect of biking.”
Stephens can be a part of the Cynisca Biking group at Tour de Normandie Féminin this week, March 14-17. It can be crucial as a result of the opening stage has a 10km hilly time trial, simply what the Texan desires, particularly for the reason that US Professional Highway Nationwide Championships moved from June to Could this yr.
“Undoubtedly having Nationals moved as much as Could, it’s simply gonna open me as much as make some clearer selections, faster. I feel the timing is definitely good. I’ll be heading again to the US after Normandie and my subsequent highway race would be the [Tour of the] Gila,” she informed Cyclingnews.
“I’ll be heading to altitude to prepare for Gila, after which I’ll keep at altitude for 3 weeks to get an excellent prep for Nationals. I really feel like I actually reply properly to coaching at altitude.”
Stephens has not raced the Tour of the Gila in seven years, final ending second total in 2017. It has a time trial, so it’s in her candy spot. She has twice gained the GC on the Joe Martin Stage Race, which together with Gila are the one two UCI stage races within the US this season, however the Arkansas stage race is per week after Nationals so was not on the radar simply but.
After two seasons on the WorldTour degree with EF Schooling-Tibco-SVB, Stephens moved again to a US-based Continental group for 2024, Cynisca Biking. She referred to as the transfer simply an adjustment to “not having a assured schedule”.
There was additionally an surprising schedule change when simply days after her victory at Clasica de Almeria the squad made headlines once more, however for the unsuitable causes, which in flip took away a 19km ITT effort from Stephens.
Cynisca Biking not too long ago accepted a one-race suspension for violating UCI guidelines in 2023 – a time when Stephens was not a part of the squad – after a contract sports activities director who now not works with the group had a mechanic pose as a rider and signal a begin sheet for a race. Vuelta Extremadura Féminas was the race taken off the group’s calendar as disciplinary motion – no stage race and no ITT.
Nonetheless within the simply two race begins up to now this season Stephens already has a win. The Texan stands out for her potential to learn a race and adapt to altering conditions, which regularly sees her reap the benefits of climbs or splits within the subject. Hardly ever do you see Stephens in a dash however that’s what she did for her first victory of the season.
“That is my first win that I can keep in mind in a very long time that wasn’t a solo,” she mentioned of her February win at Clasica de Almeria, which she took in a two-way dash towards Yuliia Biriukova (Human Powered Well being).
“So what I get pleasure from most is like simply breaking down a course and tactically, determining what’s finest for the group. What I like about racing is considering all of the other ways and items that it takes to win – it is not only one second that defines a win, there’s a number of items.”
That strategic pondering has led her to a different resolution, what to do as soon as she stops pinning on a quantity. She’s the one rider in her 30s on the Cynisca group, which she welcomes because it put her into a job as a pacesetter and mentor.
“I got here to this group to have a mentor function. I’ve ambition to turn into a DS [directeur sportif or sports director],” Stephens mentioned. “I took the DS course two years in the past, planning to try this rather a lot faster than I’ve, and I see this as a possibility the place I can nonetheless race my bike however then I can be in that mentor aspect of issues and assist the women from the within of the peloton.”
