CyclingTips Podcast, Episode 14: Mike Creed’s journey from road pro to director to US Paralympic Cycling head coach

Former pro cyclist and Smartstop team director Mike Creed became the coach of the USA Paralympic team in 2015. He brought his inspirational style and intensity to the program, helping to produce a record medal haul for the USA team.

by Neal Rogers


From 2002-2013 American Mike Creed was a professional road racer, on teams such as U.S. Postal Service, Discovery Channel, TIAA-CREF, Rock Racing, Team Type 1, and Optum. In his first year as a team director at SmartStop, a lesser-known U.S. Continental program, his riders went 1-2 at the 2014 U.S. national road championship. And in November 2015, Creed turned down an offer to be a director with Cannondale-Drapac to sign on as head coach of U.S. Paralympics Cycling.

And Rio was a successful first Paralympic Games for Creed. As a team, the U.S had arguably its best Paralympic Games performance ever, finishing the road cycling program in Rio with 13 medals, one more than they won at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The team also collected five medals in track cycling, matching its total from the London Games. The 18 total medals (four gold, nine silver, five bronze), is the most ever won in Paralympic cycling by a U.S. team.

Jamie Whitmore riding to a silver medal in the women's individual pursuit. Whitmore also won gold in the road race. She was a world class competitor in Xterra with 37 wins, including one world championship, before a battle with cancer almost cost her life in 2008 and damaged her left leg. After years of physical therapy and training, she has returned to the highest levels of the sport, and has achieved her dream of being a Paralympic medalist.
Jamie Whitmore rode to a silver medal in the women’s individual pursuit at the 2016 Paralympic Games. Whitmore also won gold in the road race. She was a world class competitor in Xterra with 37 wins, including one world championship, before a battle with cancer almost cost her life in 2008 and damaged her left leg.

Find out why Creed took on this new challenge, and what memories he took away from the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, in this podcast interview.

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Tags
#2016 Paralympic Games
#2016 Rio paralympics
#Mike Creed
#paralympics

Former pro cyclist and Smartstop team director Mike Creed became the coach of the USA Paralympic team in 2015. He brought his inspirational style and intensity to the program, helping to produce a record medal haul for the USA team.

by Neal Rogers


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