Chloe Hosking sat down with Pat Malach from CyclingNews during the team’s launch in Minneapolis, MN on December 6, 2019. For Nate Brown’s feature, visit here.
Australian Chloe Hosking is the first rider from outside North America in more than five years to race for the Rally Cycling men’s and women’s teams, and the 29-year-old sprinter brings a deep set of palmares to what will be her sixth team in her 11-year professional career.
The Rally Cycling women are counting on Hosking’s experience to help mentor the team’s younger riders while she continues to add more lines to her list of wins. It’s a double-sided blade that Hosking and the team are both hoping will pay big dividends throughout the year.
“It’s no secret I’ve been around for a while, so I’m a veteran when it comes to women’s cycling,” Hosking told Cyclingnews Thursday in Minnesota, where Rally Cycling is gathering for an official team presentation on Friday.
“I do bring a lot of experience, and having the opportunity to try and mentor and help some of the best young North American talents grow is something I’m looking forward to, and I do believe that I can bring a lot to the team in that area,” said the rider who is coming to the American team from three years with Italian squad Ale Cipollini.
“What might have been stopping me from offering that so much in my other team is the language barrier,” she said. “So I’m really looking forward to being able to easily communicate with my teammates. I think a lot more of what I have to offer will be able to get across and be used really valuably.”
Hosking has compiled 33 professional wins during her career, which started in 2010 with Team Columbia. Turns at HTC-Highroad, Specialized-Lululemon, Hitec Products, and Wiggle Honda led to three years with Ale Cipollini. Among her 33 victories, she’s claimed Women’s WorldTour wins at Tour of Chongming Island, the Giro Rosa, La Course by Tour France, the Women’s Tour, Tour of Norway, La Madrid Challenge and Tour of Guangxi.
Mentor role
Despite being the most decorated rider Rally has put in one of the orange kits, Hosking said she sees her role in the team as having less pressure to perform than she has been used to, and she’s looking forward to making that work to her advantage.
“For the past couple of years it has been quite a high-pressure environment,” she said. “I think Rally is coming on knowing that I’m capable of winning big races, but what they’re really interested in is the experience I bring and the on-road leadership I can bring to the young, talented girls they have come through.
“So in that respect, I actually don’t feel any pressure, and it’s quite a nice feeling,” she said. “I do feel that when I go into races with a little bit of pressure pulled off, that’s actually when I have my best results, so I’m looking forward to that environment this year.”
For the full interview visit CyclingNews.com
