Lucy Shaw is a 17-year-old on a mission – combining A level studies with bike racing, she joined Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling as a development rider this year.
Riding in a team alongside elite members such as Laura Trott and Elinor Barker – she’s worked hard to get where she is today.
We caught up with her to find out how she’s getting on in her new team….
It’s quite daunting but there is no pressure on me, it’s kind of nice being the youngest – I’ve got a lot to learn – it’s just exciting.
When I went out on the training camp [with the team] it gave me a real taste of what it’s like to be a pro cyclist – just the lifestyle and things like that. My new team mates have been really nice, if I need anything I can just speak to them. Some of them are five or six years older than me.
It’s my final year of A levels. I’m doing Chemistry, History and Psychology… they don’t match! Once they’re out the way in June it’ll be nice just to be full time [cycling].
Juggling it is really hard, I really struggle, but it’s just about managing my time. From March onwards I don’t really speak to anyone, it’s just training or studying, but I’ve just got to. I’m quite motivated for school work.
Before AS levels [taken the year before A levels] I didn’t race much during May time, when the exams are, but I really didn’t enjoy it so I think this time I will plough on through.
A couple of days before exams I will probably back off a bit, it’s important not to get overtired.
Once you’ve got your a levels no one can take them away from you.
Matrix and [Team DS] Steph are really supportive of school and they always say school comes first, once I’ve done my exams i’ll have nothing holding my back.
I want to be a pro cyclist in future.
I’d love to go to the world champs for GB. If I could choose another career… I don’t know what I’d choose, I’m quite interested in sports nutrition, but as an actual job… I can’t really think of anything I’d rather do than cycling.
I’m so lucky I have such supportive parents.
They’ll do anything for me, which is really nice, but I passed my driving test in October so I can take myself to a couple more races.
My favourite thing about cycling is winning races, or being part of the team that wins the race, and I just like riding my bike.
Sometimes, it’s nice just to go out with friends, and not worry about efforts. Though obviously now I’m in a UCI team it’s got to step up, but it is nice just to get out and ride the bike.
A lot of my close friends are from cycling, that’s one of the things I love about cycling, it’s so sociable, and it’s a really nice atmosphere.
Read more about the team from our report of the Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling launch.
