Good money, no team tactics and cute dogs: the rise of pro cycling freelancers

Sarah Sturm has built a healthy career in gravel racing. Photograph: Andy Cochrane

For decades, professional cycling has been dominated by European World Tour teams. But in the last decade, American gravel privateers have disrupted that paradigm.

“The World Tour is like being in the NFL or NBA,” says Peter Stetina, who rode for three different teams on the tour, the highest tier of professional road cycling, from 2010 to 2019. “You get drafted and signed. You have a salary and your job is just to pedal, nothing else. Racing is cutthroat, resigning is cutthroat.”