Emily Newsom has rather a lot on her plate – multi-discipline racing, motherhood, musician and extra. Nonetheless, the 39-year-old admitted lately that “2022 confirmed me I couldn’t do all of it and do all of it nicely,” so she has made a transfer to Continental-level Roxo Racing for the brand new 12 months and can give attention to a second spherical of the Life Time Grand Prix off-road collection, the place she completed fifth general final 12 months.
The new Roxo Racing squad, primarily based in Fort Value, Texas, strikes from US home elite standing to Continental degree with 10 North American riders, together with Grand Prix champion Haley Smith becoming a member of Newsom for a give attention to gravel racing. It was an apparent alternative for the completed rider who calls “Cowtown” house and wished to slim her focus.
“I participated within the 2022 Life Time Grand Prix and thru it, found my love for off-road racing,” she stated. “The distinctive format the Grand Prix offered stored the racing thrilling and motivating all year long, in addition to giving me alternatives to make new associates and see some superior locations.”
For the previous 5 years she has been with the TIBCO-SVB programme, which was elevated this previous season to the Ladies’s WorldTour as EF Training-TIBCO-SVB. Newsom departs the best degree of the ladies’s professional peloton to give attention to the ever-expanding gravel calendar and a restricted highway programme that can enable her to be nearer to house and household within the US.
“I have never left the highway! However I’ve narrowed my focus and can solely race a couple of highway races in the USA with my main aim being gravel,” Newsom stated in a press release to announce her departure from EF Training-TIBCO-SVB.
“Final 12 months confirmed me I carry out my finest when I’ve a secure house base to return to after races. American riders racing in Europe often transfer there for the racing season, one thing that has not been doable for me to do. Travelling forwards and backwards took a toll and although I used to be comfortable to hold out what was requested of me, I felt that it was troublesome to search out my groove.”
Throughout her tenure with Workforce TIBCO, Newsom spent numerous kilometres in breakaways in stage races and spring Classics. She had a string of excessive finishes in time trials this season, together with fifth within the time trial at US Professional Highway Nationwide Championships.
It was off the pavement that she turned gravel to gem stones. In 2021, she gained the inaugural version of Gravel Locos in Hico, Texas, ending the 155-mile off-road occasion in 8 hours, 4 minutes, a full 20 minutes forward of the second-placed professional lady. She has had a pair of runner-up finishes at Unbound Gravel 200 and Huge Sugar Gravel. She lately accepted an invite to return to the Grand Prix competitors for subsequent 12 months, the ladies’s discipline expanded from 30 to 35 professional riders.
“With gravel booming proper in my yard, mixed with my pure propensity in the direction of it, it appeared like a sensible step to show my consideration extra absolutely on it. I even have found how a lot I like the atmosphere surrounding gravel and mountain biking. Using by means of huge open countryside, dense forests or stark desert mountains, I really feel an amazing peace and I do know that I’m happier right here than in a chaotic peloton,” she stated.
“The change of focus feels proper. It has been coming for some time now and several other occasions coincided completely to make the change occur seamlessly. Although I really feel some twinge of disappointment to depart one path and pursue one other, I additionally really feel a large amount of pleasure and dedication. I’ve a renewed sense of motivation and am assured in my capability to achieve success in off-road racing. There may be nonetheless lots of work to be finished, however I am superb at working onerous.”
Newsom is a fine-tuned performer on and off the bike. She earned her grasp’s diploma in piano efficiency. She took time away from athletics, primarily operating and triathlons on the time, to have a daughter, Marijke, seven years in the past after which returned to biking with a full focus.
She stated early in her 20s she wished to be a live performance pianist. When that dream “appeared to crumble”, she stated biking helped her regain focus, but additionally take pleasure in a lifetime of travelling and “seeing life in colourful angles”.
“Discovering biking after music was the right instance that there are numerous issues in life to pursue and after one dream ends, there may be all the time one other one ready. And whereas I’m under no circumstances completed biking, I’m additionally excited for what lies past it.”
