Andy Baker
Age: 24
Height: 6’1 (184cm)
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Favourite style of race: Rolling Time Trials
Major goal for 2014: Have a consistent season and to make the most of my potential at every race.
Astellas is a new team at the professional level. What gave you the confidence to sign with the team?
From racing pro last year I knew Astellas had a great set up on the amateur level as they were a presence at most pro races I did. Talking with Andrew and Matt (the team managers) let me know that Astellas is a company passionate about cycling as a sport and that they are committed to providing their riders with the tools needed to improve their careers. Due to the downturn in the cycling job market I was ready to call time on my five year pro cycling odyssey and go back to graduate school, but Astellas was too good of an offer to let go of. Andrew and Matt really have created a nice environment here at Astellas and I’m looking forward to paying back their faith in signing me by having a great season.
Give us an insight as to what it feels like when you’re at the top of your game, with great form…
I feel like I can ride all day, my bike feels like an extension of my body rather than a machine that’s trying to end my existence. I also just feel very confident, hills go from being scary to being launching pads for success and I react to racing dynamics without thinking; I just know I can accomplish things.
You picked a specific Litespeed frame to use this season. What influenced your choice?
This season I chose the Litespeed L1R for its low weight and standard geometry. Higher weight and an unpleasant ride can mean the difference between winning and losing at the end of a five hour race and the Litespeed L1R looks to be the perfect conglomeration of lightness, stiffness, and comfort to help me get through a tough road race. I will also be utilizing the C1R aero frame for time trials this year.
We all know how great parts of South Carolina are for cyclists. Take us through your favourite loop…
This is a difficult question! All the roads in South Carolina are great. I suppose my favourite route starts by going through the grounds of Alma Mater Furman (my university) before escaping into a series of 2-3 long minute rolling hills on the way to Tryon, North Carolina. Once in Tryon I have a list of four 20-25 minute climbs that I can choose from; the hardest being the Skyuka Mountain road climb that features in the Hincapie Grand Fondo. After slogging my way up one of those climbs I ride over to Saluda, NC and do another series of difficult rolling hills before hitting my favourite climb of Green River Cove road, a roughly 12 minute climb with over twenty switchbacks! After that I descend back down to Greenville and I have about an hour of leg breaking one minute hills to see me home. Usually the ride ends up being over 100 miles and 8,000-9,000 ft. of climbing, but the views, descents, and sparsely populated roads are second to none.
Dealing with travel is tough for guys racing a full season in the USA. When you make it home after a long period on the road, what’s the first thing you do?
I don’t know that I really have much energy to do anything! Generally I just try to relax, I read a lot of books (comic and otherwise), play video games, watch TV, and just try to let my body and brain decompress from the stress of racing. My girlfriend Tori and I spend a lot of time together, and I try to spend as much time playing with my two year old German Shepherd (River) as I have energy for, she is a bit of a handful!
Note from the team: “Andy brings years of experience, despite his young age, after spending time on various Pro teams in the USA, most notably, Bissell. After his exceptional time trial performance in the Tour De Beauce in 2013, we are excited to try to help him go a few places better this season”.