Andrew Strohmeyer's Just Out Here Racing His Bike
And it went pretty dang well on Saturday at GO Cross
There is no week like Week 1 to make a big splash on the cyclocross scene, and Andrew Strohmeyer of the CXD - Trek Bikes team made the most of that opportunity on Saturday at Virginia’s Blue Ridge GO Cross.
Strohmeyer made the lead group with luminaries such as Loris Rouiller, Anton Ferdinande, Vinny B, and Curtis White and then once there, he attacked. And attacked again. In fact, on a day when most of the lead group was looking around, it was the young U23 rider who did work to keep the pace high.
Strohmeyer set himself in a good position to win the race just one climb before the finish, but he came up just short in the face of a Rouiller effort up the hill. Strohmeyer came away with a 3rd-place C1 finish at a race he has been coming to since he was a first-year Junior.
I sat down with Strohmeyer in the CXD - Trek Bikes tent before Sunday’s race. As you’ll find out, I probably jinxed his race on Sunday, suggesting that riders might need to be wary of a nascent Schuster Curse. IDK.
Interview: Andrew Strohmeyer at GO Cross
Zach Schuster: We're here in Roanoke, coming off a big day for you. Where does that result rank among results and races you've had?
Andrew Strohmeyer: It was definitely one of the best races I've had. It was the first time I've been able to stay and race at the front of one of the Elite races and make a difference in the race and stay in it to fight for the win. That was really cool. I put in a lot of work throughout the summer and just knowing that it has paid off, I'm super happy with it.
Zach Schuster: We talked yesterday, you've raced here six times, even during the pandemic year. Does it give it a little bit more meaning?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I think it does. I wasn't even racing UCI races as a Junior here and being able to come back year after year with the same people and a lot of the people I know who have traveled from all over and be able to show them what I can do in front the home crowd was cool.
Zach Schuster: You're from Maryland, right?
Andrew Strohmeyer: Mt. Airy, Maryland. It's a small town right in the middle of Maryland. Lots of farmfields and corn.
Zach Schuster: Did you grow up doing MABRA races then?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I attribute a lot of where I come from to MABRA because that's where I started racing. For a long time it was the only thing I raced. I didn't start going to the bigger races until a lot later. I think I was 15. Or later than some other people at least.
But the series we have there in the Mid-Atlantic, the level was high enough and everyone was able to push each other so much, I think it was really beneficial.
Zach Schuster: Have you always been a cyclist? What is your origin story as a bike racer?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I played a bunch of team sports growing up. I played soccer, I wanted to play football but I was too small for that. The big thing I did was lacrosse for seven years. About halfway through that I started riding bikes. My dad was a runner, and he switched to riding bikes. He got into it, so I got into it. I slowly started mountain biking, then doing some local races, and it kind of got to the point where, my freshman year of high school, I was like, "I'm pretty good at this."
I needed to make a decision if I wanted to race mountain bikes or play lacrosse, and I chose bikes. I was kind of falling out of love with the team sport side of things. I chose cycling, and I'm really happy I did.
Zach Schuster: The one I really remember was your 2019 season when you were a Junior where you won Nats up in Lakewood. Was that like a progression or was it more of a breakout year for you?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I think it was a big progression, which is what most of my racing career has been. I've talked with my coach about this, I've worked with him my whole career, and he's very much about the progression. Slowly building up and not coming out and doing pro-level training and showing up as a Junior.
In the Junior ranks, I think the skills played a big role in the racing. The year before I had my first couple of wins, which was completely unexpected. I showed up at Cincinnati for my first UCI race with the goal of getting one point, but the first day I ended up winning. It was unthinkable. At that point it was like, "Okay, maybe I can do something with this."
Then I really worked hard into the next year. Dialed things in more. Slowly throughout the year, it was the same people, me, Magnus Sheffield, Nick Carter, all racing together. We pushed each other, and throughout that year I got better and better and was able to win Pan-Ams and Nationals.
Zach Schuster: That's a crew, man. You were beating some dudes. We've seen what Magnus does, and when I lived in Minnesota, Nick Carter was winning races up there. If he has a chance to race consistently, that dude's a monster.
Andrew Strohmeyer: Yeah, racing with those guys was super cool. I've done well in Europe racing really aggressively--they race really aggressively there--I've been really okay with that, and I attribute a lot of that to racing with Magnus. He is nearly twice my size and racing him week in and week out, really pushing each other, and just fighting it out on the course. He helped a lot and pushed me to get good, fast.
Zach Schuster: I think in Lakewood, we were like Dang, Stroh might have something with his strong technical skills and his ability to ride in shitty conditions. We had our eye on you as someone who might be able to do well in Europe. You're a smaller dude, but it seems like you've made legit improvements in your power to the point of being a complete bike racer. Do you think that's the case?
Andrew Strohmeyer: Absolutely. It was something I really struggled with as Junior being even smaller. We'd get on the dry courses, and I just couldn't hold on. Back to the slow progression, during the U23 years it was really about trying to build a big base and then try to build on top of that. I've been able to see the power come up throughout the years. It's still a little less, but I can hang on with the guys at the front of the race now.
Zach Schuster: In terms of the progression, I was really concerned about you because of the pandemic year. I think that first year of U23 is so important, and the Euros got to keep racing. How were you able to turn that into something positive while not being able to race your bike?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I think I was really motivated from the year before. We were in Europe racing and we started hearing about this Covid thing and being like, "What's that?" I was able to race to 10th at the World Champs just a couple of weeks before everything went downhill really fast.
I also started my first year in college at Lees-McRae, so that was a good something else to do. It gave me something to focus on, and there were also a ton of people to ride with. We would go to the gym together and then go out on rides. It kind of brought it back to a more fun thing. We weren't training for anything, so we were just doing fun rides in the mountains of North Carolina.
It would be interesting to see if things were different and I were able to race that year, but I think I made the best of that year.
Zach Schuster: A lot of riders seem to make a lot of improvements in the Collegiate cycling programs being in that environment. Have you benefitted from being at Lees-McRae?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I actually only ended up going for two years.
Zach Schuster: So what are you up to now?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I'm out of school this year. It really depends on the rider in terms of what you want to do in the sport. For some people, it works really well because it gives them an opportunity to race a lot.
But for me, I found it hard to balance the Varsity-level racing along with the UCI racing. There were always compromises, which is why I ended up leaving. I was always struggling to start enough Collegiate races to make Nats, and then Mountain Bike Nats conflicted with the 'cross World Cups. I ended up taking some time off.
Zach Schuster: Last year, you were 6th at Tabor. It seems like that was a really valuable trip for everyone involved. What did that result mean to you and how have you benefitted from doing that?
Andrew Strohmeyer: That meant more than I can explain.
Last year was a really tough year. The first part of the season I was struggling with back problems and all sorts of little things. We came off the American Cups where I had back problems in Waterloo and finished in 29th. The next weekend in Fayetteville I had some breathing problems and didn't finish the race.
Then the next day after that race we flew to Europe, and it was kind of like, "Well, I haven't had a good race in I don't know how long and now we're going to Europe. We'll see what happens." Then to show up at Tabor, that race went perfectly. I had no problems and got 6th. It showed me what I am capable of. It was like, "Here, this is what you can do. Now you just need to work to get to the point where I can be consistent."
After that, I went back and the next two races weren't good with more back problems. When I came home, I knew what I needed to do. I went to PT and did a lot of work to try to fix things. Even throughout the rest of the season, it was a struggle. Through the spring and summer, consistently doing the work I needed to do has paid off a lot.
Zach Schuster: I watched the Curtis video, and JPows was talking about what achieving a goal can mean to an athlete. In Cincy you won. You won Junior Nats. You won U23 Nats. What it is about getting results like that that show you you're capable of doing more? It seems like it's more than just a result.
Andrew Strohmeyer: It is. Having those goals and working toward those goals makes everything better. They give me purpose in what I'm doing, and I really enjoy the process. I enjoy riding my bike every day. I'm excited to ride my bike and do the work while chasing these next goals.
It's interesting as I reach more and more goals, I'm happy with it, but it's like, "What's next?" It can be tough it's maybe not the best thing, but it gives me something to do and it gives me fulfillment when I reach those goals. Slowly kind of climbing this ladder to be the best.
Zach Schuster: So what is next? That you're willing to say out loud.
Andrew Strohmeyer: I've got some big goals this season. Some small ones and then a couple of overarching big ones.
Zach Schuster: Well there are the goals you tell people and then there are the goals you only tell your coach or you tell your family.
Andrew Strohmeyer: One of my biggest goals is to be consistent. That's something I've struggled with in the past. Just being able to show up every weekend, every day, and being able to do what I'm capable of and get good results, instead of having a good day and a bad day. That will mean a lot to me and contribute a lot to what I am hoping to achieve this year.
Zach Schuster: We're sitting in the CXD tent. What has this program meant to you and your development and journey in the sport?
Andrew Strohmeyer: It's meant pretty much everything. I switched to this team as a second-year Junior. It was a good program and I liked the idea; I knew everyone who was in it and it was kind of like the local team. Since joining the program, we've won a lot of races, and I think we all drive the level of each other up. Training together and being at the races together. The camaraderie is really good.
The opportunities I've gotten as part of this team are more than I ever could have thought I'd get, and I think that has really contributed to the success we're seeing.
Zach Schuster: So I guess you're one of the elder statesmen of the team? Do you feel you're stepping into more of a mentor role or are you still just a kid?
Andrew Strohmeyer: I definitely feel it. I enjoy working with younger riders and giving the advice I can. Even last week I was able to race with Miles [Mattern]. I try to see what they're doing and help them not make mistakes I had to learn about myself coming up. I feel it allows me to better understand what I'm doing by seeing what others are doing and trying to help them learn more. It makes me really think about what I'm doing and what I can do better or different.
Zach Schuster: After the race yesterday, I saw the national champ Curtis White come over to congratulate you. It seems like you guys have a pretty good relationship. It was cool to see the National Champ come over and give you props after your great race yesterday.
Andrew Strohmeyer: I think the 'cross scene has gotten really close the last few years, and I think I'm starting to become part of that group. Seeing him since I was a Junior racing, he's cool. I've slowly been able to train more with him, and we've been able to push each other some during past couple of years. I think we both see the importance in that. I'm kind of trying to follow in his footsteps, so it's cool to have that.
Zach Schuster: I've always said everyone should move to western Mass. or something. What is it about being able to train with other people instead of alone mean? I mean, the Euros get to do it. They go beat the crap out of each other in the forest every week.
Andrew Strohmeyer: Every Wednesday. Every Wednesday they're riding like they're racing. When we went to Europe, we were fortunate enough to go train with the Lions one day. It was like we were racing. We're rubbing elbows and shouldering each other. When we were leaving that session, I was like, "Now I know why they're better." They train to race. They're not just out on the road doing they're own training out on the road and then coming together on the weekends.
They are training exactly for 'cross. Just riding around the legendary forest in Lichtart, it was like, "If I could train here every day, this is that next level." That's where we're trying to get to.
Zach Schuster: I was just rewatching Saturday's race and you definitely would have won the most combative award. What gave you the confidence to do that? You were just like, screw it, I'm here and I'm going to keep doing it.
Andrew Strohmeyer: One of the sayings I have is: Just have fun. We're all out here just to race bikes. Before the race, I was talking with my dad and you just hear, "Just race your bike. Go out there and race your bike." We were in the race and there were a lot of tactics going on, and before the race, I don't really come up with a plan--maybe I come up with a little bit of a plan--I race on instinct. It was like, Just race your bike. Race hard. I think in the end it benefitted me a lot.
Zach Schuster: I thought you played things really well, and you raced the last lap really well. Loris just had a little extra snap like you said yesterday. I think it was a smart tactical race. We talked, and you were like, "Yeah, I wanted to break things up," and I watched, and it was like Stroh is attacking on that hill every lap.
Andrew Strohmeyer: I treated it like a European race. When I've gotten my best results there, you learn to race like them. Whenever it gets slow, out of every corner, it's that full gas back up to speed. There's no sitting around and waiting. I've found I can handle that and deal with that well; the constant efforts, so I wanted to use that to my advantage yesterday. Those guys didn't want to work, and I was like, "Alright, I'm ready to go, so let's go."
Zach Schuster: Sweet man. Thanks for your time. I'm gonna be looking for that consistency. I'm going to hold you to that on the Media Pit.
Andrew Strohmeyer: Do it.