Video: Making the Switch from Pro Road Racing to XC in 'Choosing a Different Path'

Nov 4, 2022 at 13:35
by VerdeBrandCommunications  

At 22 years old, Alexey Vermeulen was living the life he always thought he wanted — as a pro road cyclist on the UCI WorldTour.

But he wasn’t living his dreams. He wasn’t making a positive impact in other people’s lives beyond bike racing as he wanted. So, he made a change. He hung up his road bike and chose a different path — an off-road journey that led him to the start line of the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB— stop #4 of the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda.

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40 Comments

  • 42 1
 I also have a road bike hung up on the wall. I use it to hang my mountain bike helmets on.
  • 26 13
 After 30 years of mountain biking I returned to road riding, don’t sell your road bike!
  • 38 3
 @kingbike2: ride everything!
  • 10 0
 @jimfredo: that is not what she said!
  • 2 0
 @jimfredo: Practice makes perfect.
  • 37 4
 Wait until he hears about gravel.
  • 30 5
 considering he placed 2nd overall in the LifeTime Grand Prix I'd say he has maybe heard of it.
  • 9 0
 well, he won the BWR lol!
  • 2 0
 @ct0413: lol, seems like maybe he has. I just thought it was funny how it seemed to be framed as the only two options.
  • 2 1
 @ct0413: What's that?
  • 5 20
flag i-like-toytles (Nov 6, 2022 at 18:11) (Below Threshold)
 @vegankidd: A made-up race series for all of the racers who wanted to win money for their made-up cycling genre.
  • 22 1
 @ct0413: ok bro that’s literally any sport ever
  • 1 2
 @Processtuna: that’s the joke…
  • 16 0
 I gave up baths for showers, my video will be out Friday. It is hard to be fulfilled bathing, showering has opened so many doors and helped me stop pulling the plug on my dreams and goals. I pull back the curtain on my life to help you not watch your life go down the drain.
  • 1 0
 LOL! Thanks for that! You made my morning with that clever humor!!
  • 18 0
 Awesome stuff…fitting that he won Iceman yesterday! Keep up the good work
  • 14 0
 Everyone in this comment section is making fun of road like every mtb pro doesn't ride road.
  • 8 1
 Be diverse ride everything never stop riding! The road bike is a great training tool as well
  • 14 8
 Are pro road drugs better than pro xc drugs....¿
Asking for a fiend
  • 15 0
 A drug fiend
  • 7 1
 Why is this on Youtube and why isn't it auto-playing?! Just kidding Wink
  • 5 1
 "Making the Switch from Pro Road Racing to XC"

Step 1:

Buy a Niner
  • 5 0
 Step two: wooden ramps
  • 4 2
 i went back and forth between mtb and the roadie scene and then on my 2nd attempt at mtb i decided to stay permanently.
  • 7 6
 "Making the choice the ride an MTB instead of a road bike is the right choice always" - there I fixed the title of the video for him. Now go race some more XC you scamp.
  • 4 1
 Go Alexey go! A true gentleman warrior.
  • 3 1
 Good for him, although I wanted to hear more about Alexi's ideas for making a positive impact. Follow up video?
  • 1 0
 Would be a good follow up…I know that he works a lot with youth, coaching and whatnot
  • 1 0
 @crewmember: that’s what I wanted to hear about. Five minutes of “I want to make a positive impact” and about 20 seconds of what that might mean. Seems a wasted opportunity if he’s doing lots of worthy stuff.
  • 1 0
 @mcvittees: check the project him and Ryan Petry have going on with the project call. From The Ground Up. It is great what they have done in two seasons.
  • 3 0
 what an athlete. Gosh I'm lazy I do admit
  • 1 0
 He just won the Iceman Cometh Challenge on Saturday in Michigan this past weekend! Then the next day, I see this article on PB...solid! (out of 3,542 riders)
  • 1 0
 I was so confused. I thought this was about Chris Vermeulen, former pro MOTORCYCLE road racer. Different Vermeulen and different kind of road racing.
  • 6 4
 Bro just go to a dirt jumper, more fun than both xc and road
  • 2 1
 One day I woke up and realised I’d rather be a big fish in a little pond…
  • 2 0
 Half this comment section: "DAE ROAD BIKES BAD?? HUR HUR HUR."
  • 1 0
 Pick a discaplin and be a d*ck about it.
  • 1 2
 This is awesome. Inspiring look into someone making a choice for good - for himself and for others.
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