Hogan Sills

Age: 24
Height: 5’ 8”
Hometown: Champaign, IL
Favorite style of race: Criteriums and hilly road races
Major goal for 2014: Gain as much experience as I can, and support the team in winning races

The difference between winning and losing can sometimes be measured in millimeters. Those millimeters are often found not on race day, but in the depths of the off-season – when no one is watching. What’s the one major thing you do out training to make sure you’re on the winning side of the photo-finish?
It’s not very often that races are won on endurance and threshold alone, and it’s the guys that have the finishing sprint power after a hard race that can win at the line or attack on the last hill. For that reason, I make sure to end every hard ride with a solid sprint or attack. Sometimes I pretend that I’m sprinting for a national championship, and that really makes me dig deep!

The 2013/2014 winter has been abysmal, especially in the Mid-West. How have you adapted to the challenges it has offered up?
I’ve mixed up my trainer rides with some cyclocross rides in the snow. Although sometimes it’s just too cold out even for cyclocross, and I have to suck it up and ride the trainer for hours on end. One time I rode for 4 hours straight. It was awful. Our teammate Cortlan has done that a few times more than me though, so I can’t complain.

Racing aside, what is a bicycle to you?
I think it’s a great method of transportation. If you only have to travel a few miles to work or to the store, why not ride? It’s free and it’s a good workout. Also, being a mechanic, I look at a bicycle as beautiful machine. I could spend all day looking at bike photos online and geeking out with tech articles.

Everyone has chosen a specific litespeed frame that’s suited to them. Tell us about your choice…
I wanted something both light and stiff, two factors that help with the many hard accelerations in a criterium. The L1R was a perfect fit. I also chose a smaller than normal frame size, which should give the bike better handling then I’ve been used to before. It’s going to be great in the corners and sprints.

Struggling for motivation when things haven’t been going to plan happen to the best of us. How do you make sure you keep your trajectory in the sport on an upwards trend?
For training, my theory is to set high standards for myself. Knowing that I will probably fall short of those standards, I’d still be better off aiming high than if I did not have a very strict training plan and fell short.

In racing, I just try to look at what things I do well and what things I need to improve on. Sure, there are going to be a lot of races where I don’t do well or get dropped, but I tell myself that I tried my best and that there are going to be other chances.

Goals outside of the sport are healthy and conducive to good performance within it. What’s on the top of the to-do without a bicycle in tow?
I’m in the job hunt right now looking for opportunities to start a career in civil engineering or the bicycle industry. The plan is to get some work experience while racing, so I can get a good job once I’m done being a pro cyclist.
When I have free time, I like to get my mind off of cycling and do other activities. My second favorite hobby next to cycling is fishing.

Note from the team: “Hogan is new to the team in 2014. His professional attitude means the only way is up for Hogan. The platform is there for Hogan to show what he is capable of. It’ll only be a matter of time…”