Name: Starla Teddergreen
Date of Birth – 11th December 1979
Nationality – American
2019 Team – Hagens Berman / Supermint
Former Teams – Asahi Team, Canyon Bicycles – Shimano, Fearless Femme, Vanderkitten
Career Achievements –
3rd White Spot / Delta Road Race (2019)
6th White Spot / Delta Road Race (2018)
7th Stage Tour of the Gila (2018), Stage Cascade Cycling Classic (2017)
8th Stage Tour of the Gila (2019), Stage Cascade Cycling Classic (2016)
9th Stage Joe Martin Stage Race (2017)
Who taught you how to ride a bike & how old were you?
I started learning on a tricycle because I could even reach the pedals, I would stand on the back and push it around. Next was a BMX bike that had training wheels but those did not last long. I thought they were for babies and made riding feel funny so I convinced my dad to take them off and away I rode.
What was your first ‘proper’ road bike & what colour was it?
My first proper road bike was a Massi Team 3V in sparkle green, it was a 54cm frame, I ride a 48cm.
What’s the most important piece of kit/advice that has helped boost your performance?
Don’t let others put you in a box or give you labels. When I first started racing I found success in sprinting and was told I was a sprinter, so I only raced crits. I eventually stepped outside my comfort zone and showed up to my first road race and everyone said ‘what are you doing here?’. This motivated me to see how far I could push myself and to see what kind of a rider I could develop into. I now compete in UCI stage races, one-day races, criteriums, have competed in WorldTour races, and have raced all over the world. When people ask me now what kind of a rider I am, I say ‘I am a rider who never gives up’.
What’s your favourite routes/places to ride?
Any place new, I love exploring the world by bike.
What tips do you have to keep the love of cycling going amidst all the training?
Ride new roads, stop always looking at your data on the bike, ride by feel, with enough experience you know how hard you are going to hit your training numbers. Ride with friends and all yourself to have fun, make up sprint lines (always with safety in mind) every time you see something blue, sprint to it. Unless it is a recycling day and the blue bins are out, then you will be sprinting a lot and someone will cry uncle.
What experiences are still to do on your cycling ‘bucket list’?
To get back to Europe and race in the Spring Classics and other WorldTour events. To explore more roads and trails, to encourage more women to ride, to feel like I have reached my potential as an athlete, and to have made a positive impact in the sport.
Thanks for reading about Starla Teddergreen – more Women’s Cycling Profiles can be found here
