Written and reported by
Logan Jones-Wilkins
Photos by
Chris Norvold
Lizzy Gunsalus is an energizer.
Whether it is on the cyclo-cross course or in the classroom, the 22-year-old is a proud presence in whatever room she is, buzzing with energy that has fueled everything from a five-year graduate engineering degree to her near-vertical rise through the ranks of American cyclo-cross racers. That rise culminated this December, when she won multiple titles at the national championships.
In cyclocross, where the action is contained in a chaotic hour of racing criss-crossing grass, forests, beaches, and whatever course promoters can come up with, energy is a vital currency. Over the last decade of racing, Gunsalus has finally started to translate that energy into something more sustaining: success in America and working her way to the top of the result sheets in Europe.
“Ultimately, what it really comes down to is how much more time I put into my road preparation and the amount of time that I spent training and racing,” is what Gunsalus attributed to her greater success.
“I just finished up school in May, but I'm in a five-year program, so I'm still in college. It's been hard to balance school and training. Like, before this year, I did an internship in the summer and was able to balance the racing and the training, but it was quite hard.”
“Because I'm in a five-year program, I really didn't need to do another one this summer, so I really made the sacrifice this summer and put more of my eggs into the cycling basket.”
Metaphorical omelets have followed from those metaphorical eggs in the basket.
“This summer, I went over to Belgium and raced with CCB on the road a lot more, and was able to train more and recover better. I put so much more into it than previous years, but I got so much more out of it. I was surprised at how quickly I saw a difference and how much more I was able to accomplish.”
Young in age, well-versed in the trade
While Gunsalus is young by most definitions, like many elite cyclo-crossers, her age hides a deep level of expertise gained at an early age. Gunsalus has gone a step further than that with her development, plunging into the deep end of European cross as a 16-year-old in a time when the best teenagers had to race against elites.
“The first time that I ever went over to race in Europe was at 16, so I was really young, and I came over for the Christmas period for Cyclocross with Team USA, and we had no junior women racing at that point,” she said.
“There were a few smaller races that we did, but there was no junior women’s World Cup. Like, so my first European cross race was the World Cup at Namur with the elite women. So it was like…legit.”
By this point, however, that start is distant history. Gunsalus’ European racing education has been a rollercoaster, as it is for many young American hopefuls.
“I came over every year after that until COVID, and then I came over and did some racing on the road for the first time two years ago with CCB, and at first, I didn't really have that much success. I got super sick.
“The first race we did in Portugal, I got a fever on stage two of a five-day stage race. I barely made it through, and then I went to Belgium while I was still sick and had some absolute shit races. I was like, ‘I don't want to do this again, I want to go home.’ But then I just kept coming.”
Fortunately, Gunsalus has carved out a coalition of support in Europe that has provided dividends for her racing. From family support on the ground, to a familiar Belgian host house she inherited from former cyclo-cross pro Clara Honsinger.
“The owner is from Texas, and when he was 18, he moved out here to try and make it as a professional bike racer,” she said of why housing has helped her success. “When he was there, he met his wife, and now they have two girls and rent out a room for aspiring cyclists.
“I am over here in Belgium staying with people who speak the cycling language, but it's family vibes. That is why I think I'm having success. I think it comes down to being comfortable and in a familiar environment. Additionally, my brother is my mechanic, and so he's out here with me, and my other brother – not by blood, but he feels like one – does all of our media, and he's traveling with me to help at the start and finish line.”
All of it put in motion together has led her to finding the right racing flow in this European cross block.
“It's just super comfortable and familiar,” she said. “There aren't 10 other athletes that I'm battling, trying to juggle logistics with. I'm not getting into cold vans, like, I'm very comfortable.
For European racing, that comfort is everything because the energy, intensity, and professionalism in the cross fields of Belgium and the Netherlands are many levels higher.
“The skill level that it takes, and the culture around cyclo-cross, is different,” she said. “You turn on your TV downstairs, and you can watch the races. Everything is streamed. You don't pay to race here. You sign up, fans pay to go watch you, and depending on the race, there are thousands of people buying tickets to drink beer and watch you race. These fans are paying you to race.”
“Obviously, you don't see that in the States at all.”
Breaking down her nutrition and the results that have followed
Within that mixture of comfort, nutrition has been a key component that has helped build Gunsalus’ strength and confidence.
Along with the Carbs Fuel gels and mix that have helped her sort out issues with cramping in races and quality in training, it has been a full overhaul to refine the full day of fueling that is required to do the delicate dance of the Christmas cyclocross period, where she raced six times in two weeks.
“Before this year, I felt like I could put an isotonic gel in my back pocket and pop it 25 minutes into a 50-minute race. I wanted it to hit me, like, 10 minutes before my theoretical finish.
“Now with 50g of Carbs Fuel, you take that gel right before you go to the line, and that will carry you through.”
With short races, the in-race fueling – or, more accurately, the start line fueling – has been balancing the rest that has also clicked into place.
“I don't love oatmeal, so what I've been doing in Europe is a bowl of cereal or granola with some dried fruit on top, and then I'll cook up a couple of eggs.”
“I've also been mixing it up and doing vanilla Greek yogurt with rice, because, honestly, it's really the rice that's most important. Getting a little bit of protein is helpful, but your body is not going to be using it very much. You just need to make sure that you're sustaining yourself.”
Ultimately, during the last block, even with all of the comfort gained from her setup, her natural Omni-present positive energy, and her US season with its seven wins over 11 elite races, it has been a challenging stint for Gunsalas. Far from a disaster, but not where she was hoping for. But that, if anything, will fuel her going forward. She is playing, after all, in the big leagues with women who are true legends of the sport.
“I'm on the right track, and I'm in the right place at the right time,” she said. “I'm just gonna ride the wave and see what happens.
“It's crazy to compete with women where this is their life. They're racing for a result to be able to maintain a living. It's different from racing in the U.S. People are not giving up positions at all because that position could mean a contract for next season. It’s a different level of cutthroat over here, which is exciting.”
Logan Jones-Wilkins is a journalist and cyclist based in the southwest of the United States. As a writer, he has covered cycling extensively for the past year and has extensive experience as a racer in gravel and road. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and PPEL from the University of Richmond. Outside of his work in the cycling world, Logan is also a Carbs Fuel athlete, racing road, gravel, and mountain bikes alongside his reporting.
