Episode 66
“It was just always a part of my life and just grew up around bikes and just fell in love with it that way. No pressure, never being pushed, just my own gravitation towards bikes”
You’ll recognize this week’s guest from many places: her block of racing in T-Town, killing it on the road, racing on track up in Canada, or in the TCL! This week, Andrew sits down with Maggie Coles-Lyster and talks how she got into the sport, her experiences racing, what the TCL was like, where she’s headed on the road next, and much more– including her favorite post training snack!
Instagram: @maggiecoleslyster
Website: maggiecoleslyster.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007288036250
Thanks to B Braun Medical Inc. for sponsoring the Talk of the T-Town Podcast. BBraun is a global leader in infusion therapy and pain management, B Braun develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical products to the healthcare community. They are also strong believers in supporting the quality of life in the communities where their employees work and live.
Transcript
Maura Beuttel:
Broadcasting to you from the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. This is the Talk of the T-Town Podcast where we discuss all things track cycling.
Andrew Paradowski:
Welcome back to another episode of Talk of the T-Town. I’m your host Andrew Paradowski, and we’re here to talk about all things T-Town and all things cycling. Today, our guest is another rising star from the cycling world. It’s Maggie Coles-Lyster from Canada. She is currently living in Girona, Spain, joining us live on Zoom today to talk to us about her love for the sport and all other neat things surrounding her career. How’s it going, Maggie?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
It’s going well. Happy to be on this.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, I’m sure our listeners are super keen to hear about how you’ve been doing in the cycling world recently. Before we get underway with this thing, I did mention earlier that, like yourself, you’re a fellow Canadian. Whereabouts in Canada are you from?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
So I’m from just outside of Vancouver in a place called Maple Ridge, BC. And yeah, I mean, just being born there and from there is really what made me fall in love with cycling and probably stay in cycling, because there’s such good riding. And my dad was from there, and he owned a bike store out there. And yeah, it’s just such a cycling community and was such a great place to grow up.
Andrew Paradowski:
Sure. So you are one of the younger cyclists on the elite scene right now, but you’ve been cycling for quite a long time. How long have you been in the sport for?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Well, that’s a good question. I mean, I’ve been racing track since I was 12, but definitely did road and cyclo-cross and all that since I was much younger. So pretty much my whole life. My parents owned an adventure tour business and took people on mountain bike tours down to places like Moab. And like I said, my dad owned a bike store, so it was just always a part of my life and just grew up around bikes and just fell in love with it that way. No pressure, never being pushed, just my own gravitation towards bikes. So yeah, definitely one of the younger people, although the whole team as a whole on the Canadian track scene is getting quite young. So I was one of the oldest at World’s this year, which is kind of wild.
Andrew Paradowski:
Right. That is true. And it’s interesting. So for myself, I’ve actually had a chance to watch two riders grow up from being a young kid on a bike, starting racing, all the way till the world championships. So earlier this year, we had on the show…. We had Dylan Bibic on the show, and he was here, like yourself, this past summer in T-Town, and like yourself was at World Championships this year, did really well, and at the Track Champions League. So I had a chance to watch Dylan grow up from when he first started in the cycling in Ontario.
And as it happens, I think I had a chance to watch you grow up from your early beginnings in BC. You probably don’t remember me, but I think I was a commissare at one of the BC cyclo-cross races back in 2010. And I remember watching this young girl, Maggie Coles-Lyster, just on the cross bike, beating adults twice her age, even though she wasn’t in the category. But you were on the same course at the same time, and then you’d finish first in front of quite a few of the master and elite women. So I remember thinking to myself, “There’s a young woman who’s going to grow up to be a star.” And of course, look what happened. You’re out there, and you’re racing with the pros now. So congratulations on that.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah, thanks. It’s pretty cool to watch me and Dylan go through it.
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah. So tell us a bit more about that history. So you’re riding cross bikes when you’re, I guess, 10, 12 years old. What progressed from there? What got you into the position where you are today?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So I was riding cross bikes at that point. I was on the track as soon as I could fit one of the track bikes that we had at Burnaby Velodrome. So that was when I was 12. And then just… I really credit if anybody is from Canada and knows of BC Superweek. So when I was, I think, 14, I think I was the youngest person to have ever raced the elite race at BC Superweek. And I think that was the pinnacle of just really getting me into racing and loving it and realizing how well I could do, because I could race it every year, and the best riders in North America and many international riders too would come over. And then every year… The first year, I didn’t finish a single one of the Crits. But then the next year, I finished three of them. And then the next year, I was top tens, and then on the podium. So just seeing my progression through the sport using like BC Superweek as an example, yeah, I think that was huge for me just growing up.
And then when I was 16 I did… Or as a first year junior, I did cross track and Road Worlds in the same year. And that was pretty epic, although definitely finished the year exhausted and had to take quite a bit of time off the bike. And that’s when I realized, yeah, out of those three, definitely road and track are more well suited for me, my skills. I say on the cross bike, I was pretty good at crashing, getting up, and going again, and just doing that on replay for an hour. So my skills were never fantastic, and I definitely was a little more well suited towards road and track. So still race cross for fun, but those two became the focus moving forward. And yeah, just going through Worlds and winning a Junior World Championship. And then… Yeah. You know how careers in sports go up and down, crashes, pandemic, all that. But yeah, it’s kind of where we started.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, It’s an interesting comment you made about your cross riding or cross racing situation, where it’s a repeat of crash, get up, go, crash, get up, go. And that seems to be a positive theme, I think, in your career as well, where you have that determination, yeah, you get set back, that’s fine, you go and do it again, and then you do better and then better and better. So it’s almost as if… I mean, nothing comes easy to anyone, for sure, but you certainly make a go of it with that kind of determination, and you can see it in your results. So you mentioned you were a Junior World Champion, and then that was in the points race?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
You’ve gotten several medals in a lot of high level competitions. I believe in those same championships, you were there twice, right? You medaled in the Omnium twice, I think, in the two years.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
You medaled in the Elite Team Pursuit, you’ve done quite well in several road races as well. I think Gila was one of them.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. Yes.
Andrew Paradowski:
Races in BC. So yeah, you’ve got quite a history. And then now, here you had, I don’t want to call it a breakout year, because obviously, you do have a solid pass so far, but you did really, really well in World Championships this year, and as well as the Track Champions League that just finished a few weeks ago. So why don’t you talk about that to our listeners? I’m sure they’d like to know what it was like for you to be at Elite Worlds and do as well as you did.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So as I said like breakout, or breakthrough year, I think really the past two years have been that for me. But I felt like after Junior, I had some really bad crashes and concussions, and that took me quite a few steps back. And then the pandemic was upon us, and through my younger years, I’d never really had a training long block of time where I could just train and get stronger. So I think that was a huge blessing in disguise for me, because I could just ride my bike and build that engine. And I think I’ve really seen that pay off and the effects of that the past couple of years.
So yeah, then we bring it into last year, fourth in the Scratch race at Worlds, and got into Track Champions League, and then this year, fourth in the Omnium, which was both something that… Okay. Honestly, I think I went into Worlds thinking, “Yes, a top five is possible. I definitely know I can do top eight.” But then to be fourth and two points off of the podium was just mind-blowing for me and just really showed that, in my own head, I think sometimes I sell myself a bit short. No, no, I’m not quite there yet. But no, I’m there now. I know what I’m capable of, and I’ve been able to show it and been able to back it up then with results in Champions League.
I mean, I had a bit of a slow start there after some medical stuff after Worlds when I got home and procedures that just didn’t quite go very well. So I came into Champions League with no training for three weeks since Worlds and courses of antibiotics and all that fun stuff. So it was kind of a training through the month, but even just coming in with that kind of form, and that happening and still crawling my way back to third place overall, yeah, again, another, know I’m capable of that, but kind of shocked myself. So both were pretty cool experiences, and I think just really set me up to get in the mindset of, “Hey, we have the Olympics two years away from now, and I could actually… I could win there.”
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah, absolutely. I would definitely say some of those results would lead everyone to believe that you are a contender. I mean, finishing fourth and third at no small feat, and you talked a bit about how it might have been disappointing to come in forth when maybe you could have been third. You were off by two points there in the World Championships. Tell me what you think about this. I’ve heard quite a few people say that finishing fourth is better than finishing second. If you finish second, you’re sort of like you missed the top spot, but finishing fourth, you’re out of the metals, but it was still a top performance. So would you rather finish second or fourth?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Well, I think it completely depends on the person. Obviously, I would rather have a medal around my neck than be finishing fourth. I think that is pretty cool. But you know what? Obviously, I wasn’t crying over fourth place. I was pretty stoked, and it’s totally how you raced it. I knew I gave my all and knew I needed those two points and fought as hard as I could. And Maria was just stronger on the day, and I just couldn’t get that. So yeah, I wasn’t disappointed with it. It was a little bittersweet, but I think fourth is arguably worse unless you can spin it into a positive.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, I think you certainly have, again, with your performance there at the TCL. But just going back to that, that World’s performance, was there a moment somewhere in the race, whether it was in any one of the earlier stages or in the final points race where you realized that, “Hey, I’ve got a shot at this. I’ve got a shot at the podium”? Was there one moment in the race that stood out to you as like, “This is where I have to go”? And if there was, can you talk a bit about it?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. I think what… Well, after the elimination, I definitely knew I was close, and that’s when that flip kind of switched like, “Hey, I… The podium’s within grasp” And then I think at some point in the points race, I fell into the third place. I was watching the points board. So there I was, I had it, and then unfortunately, I lost it. But that mindset, I don’t know, you really just fight for every point. And it’s tough when you have it and then you lose it. You think back to the Omnium. It’s a game of points and consistency. People have been just consistent top fives in every event and have won through that way, not necessarily won a single event.
So just to think back, and you’re like, “Man, could I have done one place better in the scratch race,” or, “Could I have done one place better?” Or, “Could I have just fought a little bit harder to get one point?” Especially when it’s down to that close. But I think that’s when I sit back and look at it, those are the biggest lessons I take away from it, that it can come down to just a couple of points. So hey, in the points race, if there’s a fourth place points up for grabs, just going for it and putting a little bit more energy into that is better than finishing two points out of a metal position. I know I kind of answered your question, but didn’t really. It was such a blur of a week at World’s. I’m not going to lie, I think I raced… I did race every day. And that was a lot of racing, and the whole thing is just one jumble in my head.
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah. It certainly did go really fast as well. And the French put on a great show there in Paris at St Quentin, and it was really great to have that large crowd there cheering everybody on. Sometimes, especially when there was a French rider in contention for some sort of place, the roof was getting torn off by the cheering of the crowd. So certainly something we don’t hear quite often on this side of the pond at our races. So it’s certainly was a different atmosphere.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
No, a really cool atmosphere, really cool track, and really special that we got to race it at Worlds and Track League, and that’s the track we’ll be doing the Olympics on. So maybe we’re going to get into this, but it’s a very different track than any other track I’ve ridden. And just being able to race it as many times as possible and really learn it, I think, is a huge leg up leading into the games in two years.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, tell us about that.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So it’s massive. It’s like a sea of track. It’s an extra, I think, meter or meter and a half tall. So you can stack up so many more riders, and makes it harder to come around on the outside through a corner, because the corners are longer as well. So just riding it feels a lot different. You get so much speed coming down from the rail. So if you’re able to get up and over, you gained a ton of momentum, but it’s a lot harder to do that. So there’s just all these little things that the same moves that would work on tracks like Berlin and London that are, I wouldn’t say they’re not special, they’re cool tracks, but this one just feels so different to ride than those two. So just doing it and learning these little things, yeah, it’s a cool opportunity. I’m trying to think if there’s other special stuff about it. But yeah, that place gets loud when those stands are full. So even just experiencing that and just knowing the building is things that people don’t really think about, but make a huge difference going into a big competition.
Andrew Paradowski:
So tell us about the atmosphere of the track cycling league. This is your second go at it, and I guess you were one of the more senior riders on the team, along with Kelsey Mitchell, but I think everybody else was… That was their first year, is that correct?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. Yeah. We had… No, yeah, Kelsey and I were the only two returning from last year, and we had such a cool little group, like Sarah Van Dam, Mathias Guillemette, and Dylan Bibic, and then Kelsey and I. And everyone who was there just wanted to win and wanted to do well, so we had a super motivated group. But during the week, we’d go hang out with Jen Valente and Grant Koontz and go adventure around the different cities we were in and go for dinners. So outside of the racing, the whole vibe of just going hotel to hotel with all these international riders, just getting to spend time with them outside of national team cliques and all that kind of show and just asking each other questions.
I mean, Track League, there is a lot on the line, there’s a lot of money, there’s a lot of people watching it. But at the same time, it’s really just a bunch of people out there wanting to race their bikes and try different things and just try to win a race, which that sounds very trivial, but I feel like that’s kind of a rare thing. There’s always something bigger at play than just going out and just trying to win a race. So that’s really cool.
But then also, people are really open to building friendships and even just sharing, “Hey, I was riding this size gear,” or, “I tried this, and it didn’t work, so I know for next time.” Or just talking, just being normal people outside of the track racing. So that was really cool, and I think all five of us Canadians really benefited from that and had a really good experience with that.
And then, yeah, I mean, we can get into the race weekends are just absolutely chaotic and busy. And it’s nice, because as international riders, we had a full week in each place beforehand. So we could have our feet on the ground, get our bearings, and figure out the track, and build bikes and all that way before all the track league festivities started. But as soon as your Thursday or Friday dinners with Track Leagues start, and then you have media, and you’re back and forth from hotel to track and doing interviews and doing TikToks and calls with media sources back home. It’s just craziness. And then just try to get through the beginning part of the day.
And this year was new, we had a points race in the afternoon. So that kind of broke up the day. But otherwise, you’re just hanging out in your hotel room, trying to stay off your legs, which is sometimes really hard in these fun places, and then get as caffeinated as possible to make it from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, or even later. Most times, we weren’t having dinner, or back at the hotel till almost one. So the night just is like… It’s the longest day you’ve ever experienced. And then sometimes you have a very early flight out, so you don’t get a lot of sleep. So it’s like race one evening, race for three hours, spend the next two or three days recovering.
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah, it does sound like a lot. So a lot of the people who listen to the podcast do ride and race on the track, and many of them have also been to sort of, we’ll call them, I guess, mid-level races, national championships, or some of the stuff that happens here at T-Town in the summer on Friday nights or whatnot. But racing over there in Europe is different. And you already talked a bit about the racing side of things, but I want to know about what it’s like, just from your perspective, if you go to a race here in North America, whether it’s in Carson, or T-Town, or Milton, or wherever, sitting in the infield, it feels like just a regular sort of sporting event, at any other sporting event and national championships with some other sport. Nothing, no real hype, no fun, no music. I mean, sometimes music, but it doesn’t have the same kind of energy that we see on the TV. So we can see that it looks really, really crazy.
What does it feel like to be an athlete who comes from a place where the sport isn’t as celebrated, to go to the Track Champions League and sit in the infield? Tell our listeners what it feels like to be sitting there with the intensity, the lights off, the screens everywhere, and the whole coordinator of the orchestra of the Track Champions League.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Oh, you feel like a celebrity. So I feel like in North America, people go out to watch racing, because they either know somebody racing, or they, I don’t know, have nothing better to do but know nothing about track cycling. Everybody there wants to be there is there to watch these people who… They’re fans, they’re actual true fans. So yeah, you’re sitting on the infield, and this Track Champions League is such a unique event, because it feels like a club in there. It’s so loud, you can’t hear yourself talk, you can’t hear yourself think between rounds. The lights, you can’t see anything, you’re constantly out with your phone lights trying to search for your gears and search for stuff.
So you can just imagine, it’s wild on the infield. There’s cameras everywhere, so watch your back. Don’t do anything dumb, because cameras are on you constantly, catching everything. There’s news reporters walking around, so watch what you say. I don’t know. These are all thoughts that just go through your head as you’re sitting there between races. Or you’re really upset when you come off, because you raced bad. But again, cameras, people, people listen, it’s watch what you do.
And then during London, I went up, I had a couple family members come to watch race, and I just went up to the stands. And that was the first time I’d really ventured up into the stands throughout the league. And right away, there was a couple people, and I was just in street clothes, and a couple people recognized me as one of the riders and came over and asked me to sign their book. And I was always walking around, searching for my relatives. That happened a couple more times. And my mom was with me, she was like, “Oh my gosh, what is this?” And she was just wow, bewildered, what was happening, and how people just knew me and just wanted my autograph, just little Canadian me, who nobody in Canada really knows. But over here in Europe, people just fan girl or fanboy over all these riders. And it’s such a cool feeling, and yeah, you really do feel like, I don’t know, the hockey player or the football players you watch on TV back home.
Andrew Paradowski:
That’s very cool. Before we continue on, we do a little tradition here on the Talk of the T-Town, rapid fire questions, simple question and answer stuff. So don’t think too hard about it. Throw out the first answer that comes to your head. We’ll do a couple of these throughout the interview. The first one here I got for you is, since we’re talking about track, what’s your favorite track event?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Omnium.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, that, obviously, shows with how well you do at it. It’s good. What is your favorite pro race slash competition to watch or race?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Ah, that’s a tough one. Can I confess something?
Andrew Paradowski:
Sure. And if you don’t want it afterwards, we can just edit it out.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
No, it’s okay, because it’s a weird fact about me, but I don’t really like watching bikers, unless I know someone in it, which sounds terrible.
Andrew Paradowski:
That’s okay.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
But that’s a really weird thing about me. So I guess… Okay, okay. The classics that the women had been racing these past couple of years, and the actual TV coverage of those. I like those. That’s sweet.
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah, it’s definitely good to see a lot of that improve over the last couple of years.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
Do you have a pro racer, current or former, that you admire?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Laura Kenny, which I’d say current and former, pretty surreal racing with her now. Sorry, I’m turning this into non rapid fire.
Andrew Paradowski:
It’s okay. What is your favorite bike? And if you have to say your sponsor, that’s okay.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Well, favorite bike. Yeah, I mean, my Cannondale Road bike, I have loved, and I’ve been on that for three years with DNA.
Andrew Paradowski:
So Maggie, that’s a great segue. We spent a little while here talking about your track career, and this is a podcast primarily about track, but all things cycling as well. So you are not just a star on the track, but you’re star on the road. You’ve been doing road cycling for quite a bit, and you’ve been on a professional team for a while. So let’s talk a bit about what’s happening with you on the road.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So been on DNA Pro Cycling for three years now, and they have been the most incredible people and family and teammates. I think you can ask any rider who’s been on that team, that it’s just wild how well everyone gels and how much of a family it’s become. And I think it’s a really special thing that you don’t find often amongst teams.
But sadly and excitingly at the same time, I’m making the jump over to Europe next year. So yeah, 2023, I’ll be back over here, and this is why I’m living in Girona now, and it’s been… 2017 was the last time I raced on the Belgian team, so it’s been quite a while since I’ve actually raced over in Europe. But I’ve definitely felt that I’m now at the point that I want to get into that world tour scene and start doing the bigger races and try my hand in it. I think I’ll be really good. It’s going to be definitely a bit of a learning curve for a point. But I’m with a really good program that has some incredible mentors on it, so yeah, excited to learn and figure it out.
Andrew Paradowski:
What do you find is the major difference for you between racing on the road and racing on the track?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
The length of the race. Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely… I feel like the road scene and atmosphere is more serious in the track. Not how they take racing, I feel like the racing is taken seriously in both, just the atmosphere and the vibes around it. Track seems to be a little more just fun and goofy, and roads a little bit more serious, which I kind of like the two, the contrast in the two in the season. That’s why I’ve kept up doing both, because too much of one can just get boring.
Andrew Paradowski:
That’s fair. Do you find though… You mentioned earlier in the podcast that the one year as a junior when you did three World Championships afterwards, you felt like you know were pretty much done and didn’t have much energy left in you. Do you not find that to be part of the struggle then between doing road and tracks since they sort of span different seasons, and then you’re kind of riding all year? Or have you been able to figure out how to manage that piece?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
I mean, ask me again at this time next year when I have a whole new kind of race calendar and races I’ll be doing. But over the past three years, up to this point, I found a really good balance of just taking a couple, not necessarily months off, but just a couple rest periods throughout the year, so I never just get too fatigued. And I think we’ve nailed that formula of what works for me and what’s kept me just going through the season. I mean, like I said, there’s sacrifices that you sometimes have to make. So coming into Track League this year, I didn’t ride my bike for three weeks after Worlds, and that was kind of my off season. So yeah, you got to sacrifice a bit to benefit the rest of the season and some of the bigger goals you have, but it definitely is a puzzle and a balancing game and something that, I think, each person needs to figure out what works for them.
Andrew Paradowski:
Do you have any races coming up in ’23 that you’re looking forward to?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yes. Well, I mean, it’s all going to depend on roster. I don’t know my specific calendar yet, but I really hope to do some races like Tour Down Under, and some of the classics, and possibly Tour de France. I mean, all to be determined, so not sure, but hopefully, fingers crossed.
Andrew Paradowski:
Well, even if you don’t get onto those squads, at least it lets us know which ones you’d love to be in anyways. So hopefully that works out well for you.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yes, yes, exactly. So yeah, thanks.
Andrew Paradowski:
Moving to Europe and getting on a pro team, that means a whole new sort of scene for you, because I know for quite a while, your dad’s been involved in your career, has been a good coach to you, and I’ve known your dad probably for as long as I’ve known you. We worked together a bit in BC when I was there, and it’s nice seeing him at the events every once in a while. So tell us about what that was like, the part your dad played in your role… Or what role he played in your rise in cycling and how he helped you along the way or anything, any other things that you want to say about how great he was for you?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So obviously, he’s the reason I got into it. So I worked with this coach named Jeremy Storie, who, unfortunately, passed away. He was my first coach. And after that, my dad took over. So that was when I was 14, I think. So he’s been my coach ever since, and he still is to this day. So it has worked way better than I think anybody would’ve thought it would, or when I tell them thinks it works. I mean, obviously, results wise, it’s working, but also just personality and just dynamic and father-daughter duo, we’ve had to navigate a lot and just figure out how to make it work for both of us in the best way possible. But I think we’ve kind of nailed that.
I mean, yeah, so basically, my whole career, I can owe to my dad to where I am today. And I think the biggest part for him was that never once did he push me. This was always off my own motivation and my own desire to do well. And being an Olympic gold medalist, this is still what motivates me. And he was just there to help guide me and point me in the right direction along the way. And I think that was the biggest role outside of now his day-to-day coaching, but that’s kind of the biggest impact that he has had on me getting to where I am. He’s always emphasized that, “You know what? If you’re not having fun and you don’t like it, why are you doing it? Seriously? There’s too much else you can do with your life to waste it on not loving what you’re doing.” So yeah, I’ve always loved this and still do, and hence why I’m still here, and he’s still my coach. So yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
That’s a great attitude to have, of course, and we should always be having fun riding your bikes. Let’s forget about riding bikes, go play bikes. It should be something that’s enjoyable, not a chore.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
And I guess if it feels like a chore, then maybe it’s time for a career change. So obviously, it looks like you won’t be needing one of those anytime soon. So why don’t we finish up here, just a few more questions. So we talked a bit about your dad and what kind of impact he had on you. Is there anyone else that you want to talk about that might have had an impact on your cycling career history?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. I mean, I have a pretty massive and supportive family, extended family, and everybody has played a huge role and been super supportive. And I feel really grateful to come from a family where my mom, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, nobody has questioned, “What are you doing? Why aren’t you just doing the normal school path? Why aren’t you going and getting a normal desk job?” No one, even if they might not understand it in their head, no one has said that to my face, which I think is what kills a lot of people in the sport, just the pressure of external pressure. So yeah, really grateful for the people around me who have never done that.
I mean, yeah, I did mention Jeremy Storie, and he was a massive impact on my career as a young rider. Even when I was 13, 14, just the belief he had in me and what I could do is still something that hangs with me, is very powerful with me today. So yeah, he was a huge component to me just, yeah, I guess, loving the process and just wanting to be an Olympic gold medalist. Yeah, too bad I only got to work with him for maybe a year, but he also got me onto the track. So yeah, owe a lot to him for that.
I mean, there’s, obviously, been countless other people. As I mentioned DNA has been a family, and Kathy, Alex and Lee, who, on the team, have literally became my family over the past three years. And yeah, it’s tough leaving teams, but they just are there to support my journey. They supported me throughout Track League as sponsors with that, and they are just the people with the biggest hearts. And just once you’re theirs, they want to see you do well, and they want to see you succeed. Yeah, those are three other huge impacts on my career. Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
So you said you are leaving DNA. Can you tell us a little bit about what’s coming next for you in that regard?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah. So I’ll be racing on a Spanish team called Zaaf Cycling Team. And so they will… They’re a conti team, which, I mean, for women, that’s the second highest level you can get. So hopefully, crossing fingers for lots of invites to the World Tour stuff and the bigger races next year. And I already know some of my teammates, so that’s going to be really cool, and some really strong riders on the team.
I mean, getting over here and getting on a European team has been some of the biggest learning lessons and most stressful, complicated times of my life, especially all the whole contract and signing process going on through Track League. I was supposed to be on the B&B Hotels Team. And if any of the listeners follow the media, you can go and see what has happened there. But that all kind of just went up in flames, and, yeah, really grateful Zaaf still had an open spot to take me. So here I am, and I am excited. I mean, this podcast will be out after I meet all my teammates, but I’ll be meeting my teammates over the next week. So excited to do that and just settle in. Settle in. It’s been a lot of question marks over the past couple of months, I’d say. So yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
So if you were to talk to another up-and-coming rider like yourself who’s going to have to face the same situation as you, what one thing would you tell them about your journey in trying to move to Europe? So when I say up-and-coming cyclist, obviously, I mean, a North American one who hasn’t had the benefit of racing in Europe since they were a young rider. What one thing would you tell them to as your experience that you learned like, “Oh, I’m not going to do that again”?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Okay. Yeah. Because I’ve had two polar opposite experiences. So when I came over here as a second year junior in 2017, I lived in a team house, didn’t speak the language. I was in Belgium, didn’t know anybody, weather was terrible. It was definitely an experience, but it was one that almost broke me. So a young rider coming over to Europe, some find somewhere over here. I mean, probably Girona seems to be the place where everyone comes. But find somewhere where other people, ideally get an apartment. I mean, obviously, living in a team house has its own benefits, so if that works for you, great. But otherwise finding an apartment with maybe other people you know or know of, I think those are a couple things that if I would’ve done that first time around, it would’ve completely changed the experience for me.
And it’s tough coming from North America over to Europe, you’re far from home, the culture is different, there’s so many changes. Yeah, they say it either makes or breaks you as a North American cyclist. So I think just learning the culture, learning the language is important, but if you can find that person who speaks English and slash that person you know and just have them nearby or have them as a point of contact over here, I think that’s really beneficial, especially for your first year over. So that would be my recommendations.
Andrew Paradowski:
Very cool. All right. Why don’t we end off with another round of rapid fire questions, just to lighten everything up here before we get going? So what is your favorite movie?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Favorite movie? Oh, I’m so bad at rapid fire. What is my favorite movie? Lion King. Lion King.
Andrew Paradowski:
Very nice. What is the best music to train to?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Rap, I would say
Andrew Paradowski:
Any specific kind, or artists?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Artists… I’m going to say somebody that’s not going to be rap, I’m sure.
Andrew Paradowski:
All right. Let’s put it this way. What’s on your training iPod right now? It’s not… I dated myself. I said iPod.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
iPod. Yeah.
Andrew Paradowski:
That plays music.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
I can’t think of words, you’re saying iPod. The thing that plays music. Okay, I lied. It’s kind of rap, some rap. I listen to any early 2000s pop. So like early Lady Gaga, you got Katy Perry in there, you have Chris Brown, all that, Usher. I don’t know. All that gets me through training, and I will be heavily judged for it, but that’s okay.
Andrew Paradowski:
What is your favorite post race snack?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Ooh, post race, post long ride, nachos.
Andrew Paradowski:
Nachos, with or without cheese?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yes. With cheese.
Andrew Paradowski:
Yeah.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
My stomach doesn’t like it, but I love it.
Andrew Paradowski:
Last one, what is your favorite inspirational quote?
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Don’t wait for the storm to pass, but learn to dance in the rain.
Andrew Paradowski:
Very nice. I like that one. I’ll have to write that one down. All right, folks.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah, that’s a good one.
Andrew Paradowski:
This has been Maggie Coles-Lyster here on Talk of the T-Town, telling us all about what it’s like growing up in the cycling world and finding herself at the top and moving up even more as the future rolls out. So I just want to thank you, Maggie, for coming out. It’s been great having you on the show, even though it’s pretty late there in Girona. We’re probably coming up towards 10:00 PM in Europe. But thanks for phoning in, or Zooming in on the internet to talk to us today, and I’m sure our listeners had a lot of enjoyment listening to what you had to say.
Maggie Coles-Lyster:
Yeah, thanks for having me on. This was fun.
Andrew Paradowski:
All right. That wraps up another episode of Talk of the T-Town. Be sure to check us out in the coming weeks for more episodes. And of course, check us out on Spotify and all the other streaming channels. And we’re looking forward to you listening to us next time.
Maura Beuttel:
Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of the Talk the T-Town Podcast. If you like what you heard, please rate us and leave a comment on wherever you consume your podcasts. To find out more on this week’s guest, head on over to our website, thevelodrome.com to check out the show notes and subscribe so you never miss an episode.