Mountain Bike Star Alan Hatherly Gambles on Road Racing, Eyes Giro d’Italia Ahead of LA 2028 Olympics

When Alan Hatherly told Velo last month that his long-term goal is Olympic mountain bike gold at Los Angeles 2028, the ripple effects didn’t just stay within the cycling world—they started resonating in places where asphalt meets ambition, like the neighborhoods surrounding Chicago’s 606 Trail. The double world champion’s decision to trade singletrack supremacy for WorldTour asphalt isn’t just a personal gamble; it’s a case study in how elite athletes are redefining preparation for Olympic glory, and what that means for local communities invested in cycling infrastructure and athlete development.

Hatherly’s move to Jayco-AlUla in 2025 marked year two of a deliberate shift from dominating the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships to navigating the peloton’s pressure cooker. His recent third-place finish at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali wasn’t just a podium—it was proof that the skills honed on South African trails can translate to European cobbles. For Chicago, a city with deep roots in both competitive cycling and urban mobility advocacy, this narrative hits close to home. The city’s own investment in trails like the Bloomingdale Trail (the elevated backbone of the 606) and its support for events such as the Mayor’s Cup Criterium show a commitment to bridging disciplines—exactly what Hatherly is attempting at the elite level.

What makes this transition noteworthy isn’t just the rarity of athletes successfully crossing from mountain biking to road racing at Hatherly’s level, but the intentionality behind it. Citing influences like Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot—riders who’ve medaled in both disciplines—Hatherly isn’t dabbling; he’s building a hybrid engine. The physiological crossover is real: the explosive power needed for short-track mountain biking complements the sustained threshold efforts required in stage races like the Giro d’Italia, which he’s slated to ride next month. This kind of cross-training philosophy is increasingly echoed in Chicago’s elite development programs, where coaches at institutions like the Eddy Schuurman Training Center advocate for multi-disciplinary exposure to build more resilient athletes.

The second-order effects extend beyond velodromes and trailheads. As Hatherly proves that road racing enhances his mountain biking—not detracts from it—local bike shops and coaching services are seeing shifts in how athletes approach training. In neighborhoods like Logan Square and Humboldt Park, where fixed-gear culture meets trail-riding weekends, there’s growing interest in periodized plans that include both criterium practice and technical singletrack sessions. Even municipal planners are taking note; the Chicago Department of Transportation’s recent Complete Streets guidelines now emphasize interconnected networks that serve both recreational mountain bikers and road cyclists, recognizing that athlete development often requires access to varied terrain.

Given my background in urban sports infrastructure and community athletics programming, if this trend of elite athletes blending disciplines impacts your approach to training or advocacy in Chicago, here are the three types of local professionals you need to consider—and exactly what to look for when vetting them.

First, seek out certified cycling coaches with multi-disciplinary credentials. These aren’t just individuals with a USA Cycling license; look for those who specifically hold certifications in both mountain biking (such as PMBIA levels) and road racing/track disciplines. The best will demonstrate experience creating periodized plans that integrate VO2 max work on the velodrome or closed circuits with technical skill sessions at places like the Palos Trail System. They should reference athletes like Hatherly or Pidcock not as outliers, but as validation of their methodology—and be able to explain how road cycling improves handling fatigue in mountain bike races, or how off-road explosiveness aids in criterium positioning.

Second, engage with urban trail and road safety advocates who understand athlete development pathways. In Chicago, So connecting with groups like Active Transportation Alliance or the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation—not just for general advocacy, but for their work in linking trail access to performance training environments. Look for organizations that have successfully lobbied for buffered bike lanes near forest preserves (creating seamless road-to-trail transitions) or that partner with institutions like the University of Illinois Chicago’s kinesiology department to study how urban infrastructure affects athlete training efficacy. Their value lies in identifying gaps where better signage, surface transitions, or lighting could allow elite developmental work to happen safely within city limits.

Third, consult with sports medicine specialists familiar with cross-disciplinary cycling demands. Chicago is fortunate to have institutions like the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, where physicians understand the unique biomechanical stresses of switching between disciplines. When evaluating providers, prioritize those who can articulate the specific injury risks associated with transitioning—such as increased lumbar load from prolonged road flexion after years of upright mountain biking, or tibial stress patterns from altered pedal stroke dynamics. The best will offer preventive screening that includes both dynamic bike fit assessments on road and mountain platforms, and they’ll reference current research on bone density regulation in athletes who alternate between high-impact trail riding and sustained road efforts.

These professionals aren’t just service providers—they’re nodes in a growing ecosystem that recognizes Olympic preparation isn’t confined to national training centers. It happens in the intervals between Logan Square and the 606, in the conversations at bike shops along Milwaukee Avenue, and in the policy meetings where trail connectivity meets performance science.

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