Riley Amos, XC mountain bike racer

Riley Amos became the breakout star of cross country racing earlier this year when he became the first American male to win a U23 World Cup . At just 19 and in his first year out of the junior ranks, he also snagged the podium at two other World Cup races in Albstadt, Germany and Nové Město, Czech Republic. He entered the 2021 season with uncertainty about his prospects as a professional rider, only to leave the season with offers from every factory team on the circuit. Last week, it was announced that he would be joining Trek Factory Racing for the 2022 season.

Riley tells Payson about getting to grips with his success, learning to negotiate contract terms, and the agonizing decision between two of the industry's most celebrated teams. He also talks about balancing college finals while racing World Cups in Europe, why he's already thinking about paying it forward by mentoring young riders, and what it's like becoming teammates with your heroes. He also tells the story of his final race of the season, OZ Trails, when he bonked so hard that he started riding the course backward when he was less than half a mile from winning the race. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

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