Liv Racing today announced the addition of American Ayesha McGowan as a 'satellite rider' for 2021. McGowan will train with the WorldTeam at an upcoming camp with the goal of racing after August 1 - the UCI's date for teams to add trainees - according to a team press release.
“Working with this world-class organization is a dream come true,” McGowan said. “I’m excited to spend more time with my teammates during team camp next month and training hard before setting race goals for August and beyond.”
McGowan has been a member of Liv Racing while competing domestically in the US, and she will now move up to the Women's WorldTeam with an aim to compete as a trainee with the squad as of August. She is also a member of the The Black Foxes, a group brought together by a love of the outdoors and a mission to welcome more Black people into outdoor spaces.
In the US racing scene, McGowan has competed in top events such as the UCI 2.1 Joe Martin Stage Race finishing in the top 10 in a stage into Fayetteville and 33rd overall in the 2019 edition. She also raced at the women's-only UCI 2.1 Colorado Classic in its last edition in 2019 before the race was postponed and then cancelled last year due to COVID-19.
McGowan was named to Cyclingnews' The Power List: The 50 most influential people in cycling in 2020. She has been advocating for better representation in the bike industry for years, using her voice to support and speak up for increased diversity inside the sport's brands, organisations, events, teams and media.
The 33-year-old is also well-known for her work in building and maintaining A Quick Brown Fox website that includes her blog along with The Quick Brown Foxes Podcast. She has made outstanding progress in inspiring, influencing and leading the next generation of African American women in cycling.
“We first met Ayesha at our 2019 training camp and now the Liv Racing WorldTeam is thrilled to welcome her to our roster as a trainee,” said Eric van den Boom, owner and team manager of Liv Racing.
“As Ayesha works with our team resources, including ongoing training and monitoring, we look forward to investing in her development. We will aim to guide Ayesha as well as possible including equipment, training programmes and our knowledge and expertise. In this way we hope to take her to the next level in her career, just as we have done with many other talents before. Together with Ayesha we are excited to get started.”
McGowan joins an 11-rider roster that also includes Sofia Bertizzolo, Valerie Demey, Alison Jackson, Marta Jaskulska, Lotte Kopecky, Jeanne Korevaar, Evy Kuijpers, Soraya Paladin, Pauliena Rooijakkers, and Sabrina Stultiens.
Liv Racing will begin competing at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on February 27, followed by Le Samyn des Dames on March 2.
