Women Riders who Started in their 30s
In 2008, French cycling legend Jeannie Longo finished fourth in the Olympic time trial. She was months shy of turning 50. The winner of that race, American Kristin Armstrong, also won the next two gold medals in the event. Armstrong was a day shy of 43 as she crossed the line in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Oh yeah, she won that race too!
“Previously, the expectation was that athletes ... peak in their late 20s. Because of the biology of hormones, new research is suggesting that women peak later, in their 30s. ”
Cycling, unlike most sports, often sees athletes remain competitive well into their 30s. Shorter-distance cycling (sprints, track) is impacted by age as lung capacity and muscle density decrease over time.
National Institutes of Health studies show endurance athletes reach peak performance around 35 years old and undergo “moderate decreases” until their fifties or sixties, when a further drop off ensues. A recent Runner’s World article also speaks to this phenomenon.
Even for riders who didn’t start as adolescents, the ability to generate noteworthy performances into their thirties and forties is quite possible. If you need proof, check out these women who all started training competitively in their late twenties (and beyond).
A pioneer for Black women in professional cycling, AyeshaMcGowan discovered cycling while commuting to college and work. Initially under the tutelage of NYC race legend William “Bill” Montgomery, Ayesha McGowan steadily rose through the ranks and became the first African American woman to join a professional road cycling team in 2021.
At the behest of her husband and coach, Newsom started cycling in 2013 at age 30. She excelled in local races before taking time off to have a baby. Three months after delivery, Newsom returned to training and continued her ascent through the ranks. She set the Texas state individual time trial record and finished in the top 10 in the U.S. road national championship a year later. In 2016, Stevens broke the world hour record — 29.98 miles. She recently retired after riding professionally for Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank.
Investment banker Linda Jackson took up cycling in her 30s. Three years later, she finished third in the 1996 national championships. She retired in 2000 to become chief financial officer for a San Francisco startup. The recent inductee into the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame is the current owner of Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank.
HONORABLE MENTION: KRISTEN FAULKNER
Last year, Alaskan Kristen Faulkner won the gold medal in the cycling road race. A former rower at Harvard University, Faulkner experienced the New York City cycling scene two years after graduation. She eventually left her corporate job, turning to cycling full-time in her late twenties. Her cycling Olympic road race win was the first medal, of any kind, won by an American woman in 40 years!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Once the wheels get rolling, your ability to perform is a lot stronger than you’d think. As 2025 progresses, get on two wheels and start writing your cycling legacy! As evidenced by these impressive women, it’s never “too late” to start a new athletic endeavor.