Michael Pincus

Age: 20
Height: 5’10 (177cm)
Hometown: Pearland, Texas
Favourite style of race: Stage Races, Races of attrition
Major goal for 2014: Learn the ropes of the US professional peloton. National Championships.

With so much demanded from you at university I can imagine training is quite euphoric. Is there an element of escapism for you in cycling?
I have always been hard on myself when it comes to school. I have used cycling as a way to put things into perspective and allow a temporary pause from the classroom. Sometimes school hurts my cycling, other times cycling hurts my school work. It is a balance to get them both right.

After risking everything for the length of a criterium, there is one final corner left in the race then the run into the finish. How do you make sure all the previous effort isn’t lost in the final 30 seconds of the race?
I’ve got to keep thinking there’s a chance to win. I put every bit of energy for either myself or my teammates to make sure the final corner seals the position to end the race on top.

Most people I’ve ever spoken with have that one person that’s been an overwhelming influence in the pursuit of their cycling dreams. Is the same true for you?
My dad has always been an influence for me. Seeing how he balances family, work, and hobbies all my life has sort of helped with laying the foundation for my ambitions to pursuit my schooling, cycling, and any other obstacle that comes my way.

Training and racing hurts. Obviously physically, but mentally too, and that side of the sport is often disregarded. What does a recovery day for your mind look like?
A recovery day for my mind is any day that I do not have to ride or study. The few days of the month that I have open times, I like to spend with my friends. I have found that the Houston’s China Town is one of my favourite places to let my mind recover.

What’s the one thing that didn’t go to plan for you in our sport up until now, and you’ve been striving to make right since?
The nonstop battle that motorists and cyclist seem to have is a problem that needs to be addressed. There are too many people in cars that need to take a day and unplug from their busy days and take a moment to see what is going on around them.

Everyone got to choose what Litespeed frame they wanted to use. What influenced that decision?
All my life I have always associated Litespeed with titanium. I even heard about Litespeed helping NASA with the Martian rovers in perfecting the titanium that was used in the design. Ever since then I have associated Litespeed with the best titanium in the world. When I was told that I will get to choose which bike I will get to race I jumped at the opportunity to ride a titanium bike.

Note from the team: “Michael is a new-comer to the team in 2014. After successful mentorship from Texan cycling stalwart David Wegner, we are confident Michael can become a key team player and is in the correct place to continue his development within the sport of cycling”