After reading all these posts, I think everyone is leaving out the most important factor.


If you truly want to become a PRO at your age, then you'll have to start by quitting Graduate school.

You'll need every minute of your day for training, resting, eating a proper diet, mainting an absolute mental focus (sans graduate school), and racing on a regular basis. This will without a doubt, take more time than graduate school can provide.

I mean not to sound like a killjoy, but you may be better off by concentrating on your studies and getting a normal job. One that you've already begun to prepare yourself for.

Oh, and there's no reason not to continue a very vigorous cycling lifestyle, including some racing.