Shelley Olds has quickly become a new face in American sprinting after blasting her way onto the podium at the Liberty Classic held in Philadelphia yesterday. The US Women's National Team has rewarded Olds for her performances by offering her a hard-earned spot on the Giro d' Italia Femminile squad next month.
"I'm so excited to do that [The Giro], it has changed my whole perspective for road racing," said Olds captured third place in Philadelphia. "I'm so honored to receive the invite to go to Italy. I respect every rider I'm going to be racing with over there. I hope to help them and do what I can to get us results."
The Giro Donne is a ten-day stage race set to begin on July 3 to 12. Olds is one of eight strong American riders that include Katharine Carroll, Amber Rais, Janel Holcomb, Brooke Miller, Lauren Tamayo, Meredith Miller along with alternate riders Rebecca Much, Alison Powers and Amanda Miller.
Olds' road cycling career stems from long winter months on the track. Her main focus is on a full schedule set of track World Cups this winter but she has captured numerous podium places at top-notch road events in North America. She recently won her first two National Racing Calendar (NRC) races back-to-back at the Tulsa Tough and went on to capture the event's overall omnium title.
"Basically I finish my track season in the winter and then take a break," Olds said. "Then I use my road season as preparation for the following winter on the track. My road season is all one big preparation."
