TMS on The Move

I LOVE SHIT LIKE THIS.

Name: Larry Warbasse Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan Birthdate: June 28, 1990 Top accomplishments to date: 7th - 2011 Itstrian Spring Trophee(CRO); 4th - 2009 Tour of Antwerp prologue Team: BMC U23 Education: University of Michigan – Ross School of Business Website: www.theclosedroad.wordpress.com Twitter: larrywarbasse

How did you get started in the sport?
Through my local ski club. They did mountain bike camps in the summer. My first race was the Iceman Cometh, a huge mountain bike race in my hometown and just went from there.

Tell us about your current team?
I’m currently the only U23 rider for BMC. I do training camps with them, but most of my racing is through the USA Cycling National Development Program. I’m fully supported by BMC and super fortunate to have such a great set-up.

What do you love the most about cycling?
I really love riding my bike, just being outside and the travel. I’m not someone who likes to just sit around and I love being on the go. I’m a very competitive person so I love racing as well.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Taking the risk of leaving school for the semester to try and race full time. I knew from like the age of 15 I wanted to go into business, so it was a tough decision to alter that course a bit. I really loved life over here though and was so excited to wake up every morning and race my bike, so I decided to go for it.

Who has been most influential in your career?
When I was younger I had a training partner named Jeff Koch and he essentially took me under his wing. He took me out on all the training rides and really made me a cyclist. He’s the reason I made the junior national program. I’ve spent a ton of time lately training with George (Hincapie) and he and BMC have been a big part of my growth this year, as well as USA Cycling.

What opportunities has USA Cycling provided you?
I wouldn’t be sitting here in Europe today if it weren’t for USA Cycling. If I make it to the ProTour, it’s because of USA Cycling – or it would have been 100 times more difficult without it.

What is the biggest goal that you’re working toward?
Becoming a successful top pro-level rider.

What advice would you offer a youngster starting out in the sport?
You have to keep it fun for sure. Keep your eyes open to see what you can do to take it further. Go check out one of USA Cycling’s Regional Development Camps. You learn valuable tools, general racing skills and it opens a lot of doors for going further in the sport in the future.

What do you do when you're not riding a bike?
Go to school and study – seriously!


About USA Cycling’s National Development Programs
With one of its dual missions being to achieve sustained success in international cycling competition, USA Cycling maintains development programs for all disciplines of competitive cycling, including men’s and women’s U25 and junior road; mountain bike; track (endurance and sprint); and BMX programs. These programs provide a structured pathway to the top tier of the sport through athlete development that begins with junior racing series, regional development camps and racing and moves through to international competition. Visit the program’s webpage for more about USA Cycling’s Athlete Development Programs.