At 41, Laura King – a wife, mother, cycling ambassador, marketing expert, and now a UCI Gravel World Championship racer, has mastered the art of balancing multiple roles in her life. King focuses on training smart, prioritizing consistency over huge base training weeks, drawing from her two decades of endurance racing experience.
The 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships appeared on King’s radar late in the gravel racing season. After discovering a qualifying event just 10 hours from her home at Blue Mountain Gravel, she signed up, fully committed to earning a spot. With her husband away at another race, King set off on a solo adventure to Canada with her two young children. “I wouldn’t recommend this formula as the most ideal for race performance,” she admits, “But I had an awesome race and missed a World Championship spot in the elite field by just two places.”
Following her first attempt to qualify, King and her husband found one last opportunity… in Sweden! “Attempt #2 was taking shape as another crazy idea: fly the entire family to Sweden so we could both race.” The trip proved both wonderful and chaotic, filled with the excitement of chasing their goals among a competitive Euro scene. Unfortunately, they fell just shy of qualifying.
Determined to compete, King applied for a discretionary spot with USA Cycling. When she received the news that both she and her husband had been accepted, it felt like a turning point. “Pregnancy and postpartum are challenging,” she shared. “Despite riding 7,000 miles during pregnancy, I finally felt like I was in the best shape of my life and was excited to see what was possible.”
As she lined up in Belgium, King felt a sense of imposter syndrome. “Did I really belong on an elite start line? What if I was dead last?” But her fear quickly changed to excitement once the race started. The fast pace and chaotic atmosphere fueled her, and she found herself moving up more easily than she had anticipated.
The most memorable part of the race for King was riding alongside women she admired. For roughly 20 miles, she rode with a pack that included American teammates Jenna Rinehart and Carolyn Wre, as well as cycling legends Alison Jackson and Tiffany Cromwell. “Anytime it was incredibly painful, I knew a moment of recovery was just around the corner.” She added that “The pain was also lessened by the deafening crowds, the kids yelling ‘HUP, HUP, HUP,’ and the grandiose views at the final finish line.” Trading pulls with Belgian cyclocross legend Sanne Cant, King finished 62nd out of 138 starters.
Her advice for anyone considering taking their racing to the next level is simple: "Find a goal that scares you and let it motivate you to stretch yourself. The satisfaction that comes from breaking free of your self-doubts is an incredible release. Believe in yourself. The worst that can happen is that you have to dust yourself off and try again.” King hopes her children will remember their mom dreaming big, feeling scared, and chasing her goals anyway.
King's journey at the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships shows that with self-belief and hard work, anything is possible.
If you or someone you know is interested in racing, visit https://usacycling.org/get-started-racing.
Header Photo By: Cannondale
