ROANOKE, Va. – A 9-year-old cyclist isn’t letting a rule change stop him from racing. Nino O’Connell found out his age group had been dropped from this weekend’s USA Cycling event — and instead of sitting out, he decided to compete anyway.
“We were at a Taco Bell of all places... At first I was kind of relieved because I didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Then I was like, ‘Wait a minute... no, I’m bummed,’” Nino said.
Dad petitioned, mom prepared
Nino’s father petitioned organizers to let his son enter the race. His mother, Betthney O’Connell, says the biggest challenge wasn’t confidence in Nino — it was logistics.
“I knew he could. It was just Mom and Dad’s job to get everything together to make what he wanted happen,” Betthney O’Connell said.
Finding the right gear for a course with significant climbs, and getting enough practice time on it, was the real hurdle the family had to clear.
What is single-speed racing?
The event is a single-speed race, a format that strips the bike down to its essentials. National biking champion Gordon Wadsworth breaks it down.
“Single speed means you take all of the shifting paraphernalia off the bike and you run a single front ring and a single back cog,” Wadsworth said.
This weekend, Nino will line up against a field of older, adult riders. For him, the age gap is beside the point.
“I’m just like focused on winning,” Nino said.
Wadsworth believes that focus will show.
“He’s against adult competition, but I think they’ve got something coming for him. I think he’s going to have a really exciting day out there,” Wadsworth said.
From Taco Bell news to big dreams
Nino says he’s tried plenty of sports before landing on cycling — and this one stuck.
“I’ve done a lot of sports trying to find the one I was good at, and this is by far the coolest one yet because it’s just so different from any other one,” he said.
His long-term goal is as clear as his race-day mindset: “To be a world champion.”
Fans can cheer on Nino and other cyclists at Explore Park in Roanoke on Friday at 3:30 p.m.