May 9, 2008 – Canada’s Leigh Hobson (Cheerwine Cycling Team) is burning up the roads on the US NRC circuit. Following her Stage 5 win and 2nd place GC finish at the recent Tour of the Gila, Hobson is now the top ranked female on the NRC circuit. Fittingly, her team, North Carolina based Cheerwine Professional Cycling, is also at the top of the NRC list following the team’s dominance at the early season races.

What have been some of the contributing factors to your notable success thus far in the 2008 season?
Leigh Hobson: This is my “sunset” year as a professional cyclist. I think going into this year with that mindset has helped me bring everything I’ve got to the start line of each race. I’ve spent the last three years building to this end”¦ramping up each year and trying to do everything right.

What are some of your training/racing goals for the 2008 season, both individually and as a member of the Cheerwine team?
LH: As an individual, I’m trying to make the 2008 Olympic team. As a member of Cheerwine, I’m trying to help the team win the NRC — whether it be through my own results or my contributions to the results of my teammates. On both fronts, I’m trying to have the best year yet as a cyclist.

What do you feel are the major strengths for the team this year?
LH: The major strength of our team is our trust and belief in one another. Anne Bolyea hand picks her athletes not just for their ability to perform at races but primarily for their ability to work with one another towards team goals. The result is a team of women that get along really well on and off the bike. When you’re spending that much time together, that single factor can make or break a team.

It is always interesting to hear about professional cyclists’ “alter egos” when they’re not on the bike. What has your experience as a high school teacher brought to your cycling career and vice versa?
LH: I think being a high school teacher has helped me see the value of working cooperatively within a competitive structure. Teaching is about nurturing a person’s potential”¦helping them believe in themselves and what they can aspire to. It’s the same with cycling – you need to believe in yourself and your team through all the ups and downs of the racing season.

When I return to teaching this fall, I think I’ll be bringing the experience of pursuing your potential to my students. Be it in sport, music or academics, that pursuit is where the learning really happens. It’s often the hardest thing you can do, but it can bring you the greatest rewards.

You took a break from professional cycling between 2000 and 2005. How do you think this break affected your cycling career since your return?
LH: I took a step back in 2000 to get some perspective on cycling and my life in general. When I returned in 2005, I had a very different outlook than in the past. I now have some very specific goals and a timeline with which to achieve them. Everything seems to be falling into place for me now. I have a fantastic coach who has helped me become a more complete cyclist by strengthening my weaknesses. I have a husband and family who are behind me unconditionally. And most importantly I’m in the right headspace to find my potential as an athlete.