In 2005 Katharine Carroll was beginning her career as a professional cyclist. She just missed a top-10 finish in her first race, the Athens Twilight Criterium, and then placed fourth in the Joe Martin Stage Race. Just two years later–a very short time in the cycling world–she won both prestigious events.
“Once I got that first win, it all started to click,” she says. “You have to learn to win. It was a mental change, and I felt I could win every race after that.”
Carroll’s success caught the eye of the U.S. National team, which selected her to train in Europe last summer. She raced in the mountainous regions of Spain and Italy, getting a taste for competing with the world’s elite cyclists. In September, competing in France and Holland, she won one stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International Ardèche.
With several victories under her belt and a sponsor in place, Carroll can concentrate on her next goal–making the U.S. Olympic Team. She says 2008 is a long shot, but don’t be surprised if you see her sporting the red, white and blue on the streets of London at the 2012 Summer Olympics.