Bryan's Stats
DOB: August 31, 1990 Birth Place: Laguna Niguel, CA Current Residence: Charlottesville, VA Height: 5'11" Weight: 162 Current Team: Lupus Pro Racing Team Past Teams: Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite Cycling Team (2015), University of Virginia (2014-2015) Education: University of Virginia '13 (BA Physics/Economics), University of Virginia '15 (MS Systems Engineering) Coach: Curtis Winsor, Winsor Creative |
Career Highlights
1st Tour de Burg, 2014
1st Pantani Ride, 2017
1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, Stage 2, 2017
1st KOM Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, 2017
1st Tour of the Battnekill, 2015
1st Green Mountain Stage Race Overall, 2015
1st Green Mountain Stage 3, 2015
1st 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, MTB
1st USAC MTB Nationals Cat 1 Short Track, 2014
1st USAC MTB Nationals Cat 1 Cross Country, 2014
1st VA State Champs RR, Page Valley, 2015
2nd Pantani Ride, 1st KOM Competition, 2014
5th USAC Elite Nationals Time Trial, 2015
6th USAC Marathon MTB Nationals
1st Tour de Burg, 2014
1st Pantani Ride, 2017
1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, Stage 2, 2017
1st KOM Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, 2017
1st Tour of the Battnekill, 2015
1st Green Mountain Stage Race Overall, 2015
1st Green Mountain Stage 3, 2015
1st 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, MTB
1st USAC MTB Nationals Cat 1 Short Track, 2014
1st USAC MTB Nationals Cat 1 Cross Country, 2014
1st VA State Champs RR, Page Valley, 2015
2nd Pantani Ride, 1st KOM Competition, 2014
5th USAC Elite Nationals Time Trial, 2015
6th USAC Marathon MTB Nationals
My Story
I got my first mountain bike (Trek Mountain Lion) for Christmas when I was 7 years old. That morning, I proceeded to crash it and put a hole in the seat. Since then I've been hooked on riding bikes. I raced NORBA Nationals at Snowshoe Mountain Resort back in 2004 and participated in many local races until 10th grade when I pursued a new interest in Cross Country and Track. Running took over my life at that point and began 8-year career throughout high school and college at the University of Virginia.
Running produced some great times in my life, but as I began graduate school I returned to my roots so to speak and hopped back on two wheels as a means of venting my competitive desires.
Over the summer following graduation in 2013 I dabbled on the roads while still training for my final season of running eligibility as a graduate student at UVa. At the beginning of the year a nagging foot injury led me to hang up the shoes and focus on grad school, or as it turned out, ride my bike a lot. I raced collegiate mountain bike nationals that fall and although I was becoming a donut connoisseur (read getting fat) I used some left over running fitness to place top 10 in XC and Short Track. In the spring I rode off and on and raced in the collegiate scene. I did well enough to ride at collegiate nationals and hit 1km to go at the head of the peloton (chasing about 10 guys). I then proceeded to implode on the hill and barely finish in the top 50. Wack.
Running produced some great times in my life, but as I began graduate school I returned to my roots so to speak and hopped back on two wheels as a means of venting my competitive desires.
Over the summer following graduation in 2013 I dabbled on the roads while still training for my final season of running eligibility as a graduate student at UVa. At the beginning of the year a nagging foot injury led me to hang up the shoes and focus on grad school, or as it turned out, ride my bike a lot. I raced collegiate mountain bike nationals that fall and although I was becoming a donut connoisseur (read getting fat) I used some left over running fitness to place top 10 in XC and Short Track. In the spring I rode off and on and raced in the collegiate scene. I did well enough to ride at collegiate nationals and hit 1km to go at the head of the peloton (chasing about 10 guys). I then proceeded to implode on the hill and barely finish in the top 50. Wack.
Three days later I broke my hand in a crash at Tuesday Night Worlds due to a broken cleat. I took my casted up arm and spent a week in Banner Elk, NC riding 80-110 mi/day for a week and kept that momentum rolling throughout the summer. I went to MTB Nationals at Bear Creek in Pennsylvania and came home with 2 stars and stripes jerseys as the Cat 1 XC/ST national champ. About as big a deal as winning a local race, but I digress. The next week I won my first 1/2/3 race on the road. Afterwards Peter Hufnagel and Andrea Dvorak talked to me about turning Pro and gave me some contact info for directors. I capped off the year by winning 2 stages and placing second overall at the Green Mountain Stage Race, receiving my Cat 1 upgrade, and finishing my first pro race at the Bucks County Classic. Let's just say I learned a lot and survived.
At the start of 2015 I hired a coach (Curtis Winsor) and joined the Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite Team. Although my riding was getting more serious, I still had no real plans to race professionally and spent most of the early year on the job hunt. While I looked for jobs the wins came aplenty. My first big win, and the first time I considered I could possibly "make it", came at the Tour of the Battenkill. By the time I took a week off for my Thesis and graduation in May I had already won 7 races. I was fortunate to have such a great group of guys keeping me level headed, making it fun, and supporting me at the races. In May I decided to forego any job opportunities and take a crack at signing a professional contract in the Fall. From there on I placed 5th in the TT at Amateur Nationals, won the VA State RR, River Gorge Omnium and RR, the Green Mountain Stage Race Overall and App Gap Stage in the process of collecting a total of 15 wins on the year. It's definitely a year I'll never forget. In October I signed a contract with the Lupus Pro Racing team and officially stopped kicking myself for turning down engineering job officers and began my life as a Pro Cyclist. You can read the long story of the process of signing a Pro contract and why I chose Lupus, here.
Now I've put the dream season behind and started a new experience. I don't expect nearly the success of last year but I look forward to learning a lot, meeting new people, traveling, and getting my butt kicked. It should be a great and interesting ride and I hope you enjoy following along through pictures, race reports, and musings of a 1st year pro.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bryan "BSlow" Lewis
*The BSlow nickname is a registered trademark of Saul Yeaton, Inc.
At the start of 2015 I hired a coach (Curtis Winsor) and joined the Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite Team. Although my riding was getting more serious, I still had no real plans to race professionally and spent most of the early year on the job hunt. While I looked for jobs the wins came aplenty. My first big win, and the first time I considered I could possibly "make it", came at the Tour of the Battenkill. By the time I took a week off for my Thesis and graduation in May I had already won 7 races. I was fortunate to have such a great group of guys keeping me level headed, making it fun, and supporting me at the races. In May I decided to forego any job opportunities and take a crack at signing a professional contract in the Fall. From there on I placed 5th in the TT at Amateur Nationals, won the VA State RR, River Gorge Omnium and RR, the Green Mountain Stage Race Overall and App Gap Stage in the process of collecting a total of 15 wins on the year. It's definitely a year I'll never forget. In October I signed a contract with the Lupus Pro Racing team and officially stopped kicking myself for turning down engineering job officers and began my life as a Pro Cyclist. You can read the long story of the process of signing a Pro contract and why I chose Lupus, here.
Now I've put the dream season behind and started a new experience. I don't expect nearly the success of last year but I look forward to learning a lot, meeting new people, traveling, and getting my butt kicked. It should be a great and interesting ride and I hope you enjoy following along through pictures, race reports, and musings of a 1st year pro.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bryan "BSlow" Lewis
*The BSlow nickname is a registered trademark of Saul Yeaton, Inc.