Ayesha McGowan

Last updated

Ayesha McGowan
2022 AGR start Ayesha McGowan1.jpg
Personal information
Full nameAyesha Rosena Anna McGowan
Born (1987-04-02) April 2, 1987 (age 36)
Atlanta, Georgia [1]
Team information
Current team Liv Racing TeqFind
Disciplines
  • Road
RoleRider
Rider type Puncheur [1]
Amateur teams
Apr 2019Amy D Foundation
Aug 2019Alp Cycles
2020Liv Racing
Professional teams
2021 Liv Racing (trainee)
2022– Liv Racing–Xstra

Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan (born April 2, 1987) is an American professional racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI Women's World Team Liv Racing TeqFind. [2] She is also an activist and advocate aiming to improve diversity and inclusivity in cycling, especially for women and ethnic minorities. [3] She is the first African American woman on a professional road cycling team. [3]

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Unlike many professional cyclists who begin racing competitively at a young age, McGowan only started cycling as a commuter student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation in 2010, she moved to Brooklyn, where she worked as a daycare teacher and taught private music lessons for five years. [4] [5]

After seven years of commuting, McGowan made her racing debut at the 2014 Red Hook Crit in Brooklyn, the first edition to feature separate men's and women's races. Later that same year, she took her maiden victory in the Category 4 race at the New York State Criterium Championships in White Plains. [5]

Professional career

In 2019, McGowan made her UCI professional-level racing debut when she competed in the Joe Martin Stage Race and in the Colorado Classic. On the third stage of the Colorado Classic, her attacking efforts garnered her significant attention and won her the Most Inspirational jersey for that stage. [6]

Though McGowan had been a member of Liv Racing for the 2020 season while racing domestically, she made the step up to the professional UCI Women's Team in 2021 as a satellite/trainee rider. This allowed her to make her racing debut with the team after August 1, as per UCI regulations. [2] [7] This debut came in early September, when McGowan was selected for the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche. [8] McGowan featured in the winning breakaway on stage 6, placing seventh, [9] before eventually finishing 50th overall. [10]

For the 2022 season, Liv Racing, now as Liv Racing–Xstra, retained McGowan, who signed as a full-fledged professional. [11] [12]


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References

  1. 1 2 "Ayesha McGowan". Liv Racing. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "'Satellite rider' Ayesha McGowan joins Liv Racing". Liv Racing. February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Been, José (February 16, 2021). "Ayesha McGowan on her way to Women's World Tour with Liv Racing". CyclingTips. Outside Interactive, Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Representation Matters: Ayesha McGowan". Liv Racing . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Haq, Sana Noor (April 20, 2021). "Meet Ayesha McGowan, the first Black American woman in pro cycling: 'The thing that we're working for isn't just existing in a space, it's thriving'". CNN . Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ↑ Dreier, Fred; Welch, Betsy (August 31, 2019). "What Ayesha McGowan learned at the Colorado Classic". VeloNews . Outside Interactive, Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  7. ↑ Frattini, Kirsten (February 16, 2021). "Ayesha McGowan to step up to Women's WorldTour with Liv Racing". CyclingNews . Future plc . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Frattini, Kirsten (September 6, 2021). "Ayesha McGowan to make debut with Liv Racing at Tour de l'Ardeche". CyclingNews . Future plc . Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Korevaar finishes Tour de l'Ardèche with second place". Liv Racing. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Leah Thomas wins Tour de l'Ardeche". CyclingNews . Future plc. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  11. ↑ Frattini, Kirsten (January 31, 2022). "2022 Team Preview: Liv Racing Xstra". CyclingNews . Future plc . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Ayesha McGowan". UCI. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
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