Elouan Gardon

First race of the season: the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Elouan Gardon2026-04-14T10:55:34-08:00

Flying back to the States from Nice, France, I felt prepared and genuinely excited to start the season. Meeting the team the day before the race was a great experience—the environment was positive, supportive, and honestly refreshing. It felt good to be around people who were focused and motivated in the same way. Stage 1 was an individual time trial at Perris Lake, a course that suited me well. My warm‑up felt smooth, and I was confident in the plan I...

Getting Ready for Race Season

Elouan Gardon2026-03-23T03:30:05-08:00

Pretty excited to finally get the race season rolling. After a winter fully dedicated to training, long hours on the bike, and a lot of behind‑the‑scenes work, it feels good to be getting close to pinning a number on again. There’s something about that shift from base season to race season that always brings a mix of nerves, motivation, and curiosity—just wanting to see where the legs are at after months of steady work. My first race of the year will...

The Highs and Lows

Elouan Gardon2026-02-28T11:32:00-08:00

Cycling is an incredible sport because it gives you so much more than fitness — it gives you freedom, perspective, and a front‑row seat to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Living and training in Europe has reminded me of that every single day. The roads here are stunning, but they’re also very different from what I grew up riding. They’re narrower, more technical, and often shared by two‑way traffic even when it feels like only one...

Back to training and preparing for 2026

Elouan Gardon2025-12-19T12:30:34-08:00

After taking a full week off the bike, I’m finally back into training mode and easing into the rhythm again. I’ve been mixing in other activities—mainly the gym—which is something I usually skip during the season. But lifting is great for building strength, improving stability, and reducing injury risk, so it feels good to bring it back into the routine. Plus, with the weather pretty rough in the PNW this time of year, the gym lets me break up my...

The Last Race of the Season — El Tour de Tucson

Elouan Gardon2025-11-23T12:35:06-08:00

After wrapping up Big Sugar in Arkansas, I headed west to Tucson for some warm-weather training and one final race to close out the season: El Tour de Tucson. This event has been around for over 40 years and is now the largest cycling event in the U.S., with over 11,000 riders showing up this year. While most of the field treats it like a grand fondo—more relaxed and recreational—there’s still a real race happening up front. This year, the top...

Preparing for the Final Race of the Season

Elouan Gardon2025-11-06T21:11:27-08:00

October took me to Arkansas for Big Sugar, a gravel race I’d been looking forward to. Originally billed as a 100-mile event, it was unexpectedly shortened to just 50 miles—only thirty minutes before the start—due to severe weather conditions. I felt strong going in, but unfortunately ended up crashing mid-race, which was frustrating given how well I was riding. It wasn’t the ending I’d hoped for, but that’s racing sometimes. Now, I’m shifting focus to my final event of the season:...

Big Sugar Preparation

Elouan Gardon2025-11-06T21:12:48-08:00

reflection, and looking into the future

While the road racing calendar has mostly wrapped up, I still have a couple of events left before officially closing out my 2025 season. Although my main focus this year has been on the road, I also decided to take part in the Life Time Grand Prix, a U.S. off-road cycling series featuring some of the most competitive gravel and mountain bike events in the country. This coming week, I’ll be heading to Bentonville, Arkansas,...

World Championships

Elouan Gardon2025-09-17T08:21:16-08:00

Lessons from the World Championships in Belgium 🇧🇪

Coming into the World Championships in Flanders, Belgium, I felt strong—physically and mentally. My altitude training block had gone exceptionally well, and I was eager to have another shot at the world title. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by how much I loved the region. Flanders was stunning: the roads were smooth and fast, the people were welcoming, and the cycling culture was electric. Our team hotel was well-equipped...

World Championships Preparation

Elouan Gardon2025-08-15T19:34:21-08:00

The World Championships are my biggest priority race of the season, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to structure my preparation carefully. Following Unbound Gravel, I was able to take a long break from racing, which allowed me to focus fully on training and recovery. To maximize this period, I spent a month at a training camp in Colorado Springs, where I was able to gain valuable altitude adaptations and incorporate heat training. Both of these elements are...