Taylor Phinney was one of the brightest stars of American road racing in the 2010s. The son of professional cycling luminaries, he was a world champion by age 17 and became the first American to win Paris-Roubaix the following year as a U23. A year later, he won the race again for good measure. During his 10-year career on the WorldTour, Taylor raced for Trek-Livestrong, BMC, and EF Education First. When he announced his retirement in 2019 at age 29, it shook the sport, but according to Taylor, it had been a long time coming.
Earlier this week, Payson sat down with Taylor in his art studio in Spain to talk about how his life has changed since he left racing. They talk about how he became more involved with his art in the final year of his WorldTour career and how cycling was no longer bringing him fulfillment. He explains why he’s chosen to stay in the cycling mecca of Girona even though he isn’t racing anymore, and how he’s grown to prefer aspects of Europe that he used to find challenging. They discuss what it’s like to still be in the realm of WorldTour racing as he supports his partner, Kasia, who rides for Canyon–SRAM, and how professional women’s racing is so different from men's. They also talk about music, art, starting fires, and his obsession with handlebars.
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