cedricbosch

From reading the bio's of a couple cycling professionals, it seems most of them start competing around 14-16 years old, with a few stragglers starting at 18. What do you think is the maximum age one can enter this sport and still be successful at a high level? 20? 25? What makes it so hard for latecommers to do well?

Cdy291

Justin England got a late start, coming from a runner.

waterrockets 

Mike Engleman was in his 30s, I believe.

Frunkin

However old you are - 3 years.
Seriously, I know that a good number of domestic pros got into cycling during college, so 18-24ish age range. I think after that you have to have something extra special to get on to any pro team.

classic1

Tony Rominger never started racing until he was 21 IIRC. There are a few I can think of who turned pro late and had successful careers, but like most sports the competitors hook onto it as teenagers and go through the ranks until they reach the top flight.

YMCA

Ludo Diercksens was 27
Mike Engleman was 27

botto 

iirc:

diercksens raced (and painted vans), but didn't get a pro contract until he was that old.

engleman, on the other hand, came late to cycling, from a background in running.

cslone

A guy from our team went from Cat 5 to Cat 1 to regional Pro in 18 months after starting at age 28 IIRC. I think the quick rise and high demands did him in though as he got burnt out fast. Had some minor success racing for Abercrombie, but called it quits and came back to local level racing after 2 years.
He never would have been the next US star, but he was doing pretty well on the US level.

wfrogge

This guy is a little too old but can (does) whoop all the regional pro's without breaking a sweat.

https://www.mikeolheiser.com

waterrockets 

I think Overend was in his late 20s when he started competing too.

YMCA

Most directors will not even look at anyone being a neo-pro past the age of 25, unless they posess one of two things.

1) overtly huge genetic talent, or
2) money towards sponsorship

Buying your way in is the worldly way

wfrogge

One would be a fool to leave a good paying job (most competitive cyclists that are in the mid/upper 20s I bet) to go pro.

Even if you are only making 30k a year at Taco Bell that would be a dumb move.

dadof7

Are you saying I'm too old at 46 to give it a shot???

ridethecliche

If you're providing for your 7 kids, then you are.

chrisvu05

Olheiser is a beast! His breakway win in the Allanti Masters Crit last year was amazing...holding off the entire field for almost the entire race and even pretty much lapping them. I think he caught back on the back and sat in and then broke away again IIRC. Then he hops in the Pro/1/2 race and drives the entire field to catch the break. Looking at that link his VO2 max says alot of his abilities at 74....I've also heard he trains like a friggin animal. If he shows up to a TT he wins plain and simple..2 time World Champion, 3 Time Road Race national champ, and 1 time National TT champ....

wanders

So you're saying there's a chance.

wideAMG

read up about Svien Tuft who is now a pro with Garmin. interesting journey into the pro circuit. his best training partner was a dog.

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/sp...08cycling.html

Dubbayoo

Depends on your definition of successful. My friend Curtis Gunn turned pro around 35. He rides for Fly V Australia. He's 38 now. He's been riding forever though; collegiate Nat'l Kilo champ.

merlinextraligh

UCI rules work against riders starting at an older age. Its expensive to be a Professional Continental Team, so most domestic teams are registered as Continental Teams.

Continental Teams can only have a ceretain percentage of riders over 28. So basically you need to be young enough to have become a top level pro by 28.

Given that many domestic pros will be cut at age 28, it doesn't make sense for a team to invest in a guy in his mid 20's unless he shows very remarkable promise.

botto 

dadof7

There goes the dreamGuess i'll have to try to live it vicariosly through one of the 7.

Bob Dopolina 

Ding, ding, ding.

There are some good reasons for the UCI for doing this but this is the downside.

As a general rule of thumb if you aren't riding for a national team or on a pro team's development squad in your early 20's it most likely isn't going to happen.

benajah

People start accumulating life expenses and responsibilities like wives, kids, house, better standard of living, etc as they climb up the ages, and both would have a hard time taking the financial shot of being a neo pro, and of investing the training time to do it, unless they were willing to give up a social life.
I have a couple of friends who are aspiring pro triathletes, and along with working a full time job they really have no life.
Physically though, may say that until your fourties or fifties you can train to the level...the real world plays a factor though.

urbanknight

Alright! I'm giving up teaching to train full time.

cmh

Even given the bad set up by the UCI, the starting age of a lot of pro cyclists seems to be higher than in many sports, like the big pro sports in the US, tennis, or soccer. I guess that is because it is more of an endurance sport than an agility sport.