Originally Posted by Patriot
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.
I have a good friend who's in graduate school and is a consistent podium finisher in Cat1/2 races. He's getting his PhD in physics. It is possible, but it takes an extraordinary amount of discipline. Riding is a good relief from the rigors of grad school for sure. But competition at a high level takes a lot of time, something of which grad students are always in short supply.