On the age of 18, Ava Holmgren was already a two-time Canadian elite girls’s cyclocross champion. She had a silver medal from Cyclocross World Championships as a junior, and stood on the rostrum alongside her twin sister Isabella, who secured the gold. Sure, she competes on the street, too, and had a fourth on GC and the youth classification title on the prestigious Watersley Women Problem in 2022.
She, together with twin sister Isabella, are the youngest of 5 kids to oldsters Rob and Lisa Holmgren, each completed cyclists themselves, who frequented trails simply north of Toronto on the Hardwood Ski and Bike recreation centre with their brood. Brother Gunnar, who’s six years older than the twins, is a mountain bike skilled and received the boys’s MTB cross-country title on the 2023 Pan-American Video games. He has been an inspiration for his youngest sisters, however biking can be a part of their DNA.
When she and ‘Bella’ went 1-2 at Cyclocross Worlds for Canada earlier this 12 months, making historical past as the primary riders of any age to win world championship medals in cyclocross for the nation, she mentioned, “we did it”. It was all about household, it was all about workforce.
Ava will make her professional biking debut in 2024 on the WorldTour stage with Lidl-Trek, which is able to permit her to race with Isabella for 2 years as properly. Ava mentioned becoming a member of Lidl-Trek was a ‘excellent match’. Her new teammates will quickly have the ability to simply distinguish between the fraternal twins, with Ava’s most blatant bodily traits being peak, she is the shorter of the duo, and speech, she has a a lot deeper voice.
She shared with Cyclingnews her particular person story about driving bikes 12 months spherical throughout three disciplines, which self-discipline is her favorite and what plans are on the horizon with Lidl-Trek.
Cyclingnews: You could have been driving a motorcycle because you had been very younger, as your dad and mom and siblings have been aggressive because you had been small. Inform us how you bought began.
Ava Holmgren: Using in our weekly race sequence was a household exercise that we did at a really younger age. We at all times had the selection to not go if we did not need to experience our bikes. That wasn’t the case for me as a result of I really like driving my bike. Nonetheless, I nonetheless did a number of sports activities rising up, and aggressive swimming was essentially the most distinguished.
CN: Who in your loved ones influenced you essentially the most?
AH: Bella (my twin sister) is the one in my household that influences me essentially the most. We’re very aggressive, and it has confirmed to be one of many largest benefits in our coaching. Having a twin sister in the identical sport that you just do is tough but in addition rewarding.
CN: On the 2022-23 CX Worlds in February within the girls’s junior races at Hoogerheide, you received the silver medal and your sister took the gold. How huge was that?
AH: The 2022-2023 ‘cross season was such an exhilarating block of racing. I had probably the greatest seasons of my life and did very properly within the Junior World Cups, usually beating my sister. Bella would normally beat me on the second day of racing and in a few actually robust races. On the day of the World Championships, she was the perfect!
CN: You could have two Canadian CX titles as an elite and you’re simply 18. How particular is it to put on the maple leaf jersey?
AH: It is rather particular to me. I’m barely biased, however I feel Canada has probably the greatest flags for a nationwide champion’s jersey. I need to symbolize it properly in Europe this 12 months!
CN: After a pair of Pan-Am CX titles as a junior, you moved to U23 this 12 months and received silver in Missoula, Montana. Your sister opted to race Pan-Ams within the elite race and received. Inform us the way you each determine which class to race. Is there a technique to this?
AH: The entire class switch-up began once I upgraded to the Elite class at Nationals final 12 months. I upgraded as a result of I had already received Pan-Ams and would put on that jersey whereas racing in Europe. There have been extra factors on the road and in addition a jersey that I may put on whereas racing elite World Cups. I didn’t need to improve to the Elite class for this 12 months’s Pan-Ams as a result of I used to be nonetheless getting again into kind from my harm [broken collarbone prior to MTB Worlds in Scotland].
Bella determined to improve for elite Pan Ams this 12 months as a result of she was in excellent kind and had a superb shot at profitable. She additionally determined that after profitable the Elite Pan American jersey, she wished to remain within the U23 class at nationals. Subsequently, she may put on the Maple leaf at U23 races/podiums then the Pan Am jersey at Elite races/podiums.
CN: You talked about the harm that stored you out of MTB Worlds in August. Inform us about not being a part of Group Canada for Junior Street Worlds, which was additionally in Glasgow 5 days earlier.
AH: I haven’t raced a Street World Championships. The choice standards is based on Nationals and I used to be sick this 12 months. I used to be very shocked once I wasn’t chosen as a result of Bella and I had been by far the perfect Canadian juniors within the European races. It was a giant purpose of mine to race there and the course seemed onerous and technical, simply how I prefer it!
CN: So what are the three phrases to explain your 2023?
AH: Ups and downs.
CN: Nicely, one of many main ‘ups’ was signing a two-year, skilled contract with LIdl-Trek. How do you need to develop on the high tier with this workforce?
AH: I’d wish to develop as a complete as a result of there are lots of necessary points to knowledgeable athlete that aren’t simply racing. Issues like working with media, day-to-day life, conferences, and many others. I would like to have the ability to navigate these items comfortably by the top of the season so as to discover the best steadiness.
I’d like to enhance in lots of issues, particularly the right way to experience as a workforce. I really feel just like the junior years had been extra like ‘each girl for herself’ at instances. Having teammates could be very thrilling to me and I’m trying ahead to studying from them and dealing with them!
CN: What’s your high purpose for 2024 with Lidl-Trek?
AH: My largest purpose is to progress in lots of points. I’m additionally bold to experience the Tour de L’Avenir.
CN: In two years, the place would you wish to be in your biking profession?
AH: Hopefully, signing one other contract with Lidl-Trek!
CN: What are the distinguishing ‘skills’ that separate you out of your sister?
AH: I take into consideration ways extra usually than her, whereas she normally goes as onerous as she will (and drops me).
CN: Off the bike, what makes you completely different from Bella?
AH: Off of the bike, now we have a few completely different pursuits. I like to make use of my artistic facet with artwork and music when she would use it for baking and cooking. I feel that I are typically much less shy than her, till she opens up. Nonetheless, we do share a whole lot of the identical qualities and pursuits!
CN: What’s your dream occasion to experience, and your dream occasion to win?
AH: My dream occasion to win is the World Championships. I’d like to experience the Tour de France. After watching the boys’s race rising up, it has been a dream of mine to race it for a really very long time. Fortunately, now we have the Tour de France Femmes and now the women can watch and be impressed identical to I’m.
CN: You experience so many disciplines – CX, MTB and street. If you happen to had sooner or later to simply experience for enjoyable – not race or prepare – which bike would you select?
AH: I’d undoubtedly select my MTB. There may be nothing else that compares to a wonderfully satisfying circulation path with jumps, berms, and options.
CN: Now that you’re out of highschool, what pursuits, apart from biking, do you might have for your self?
AH: I simply graduated highschool and I’m taking somewhat break. I’m presently attempting to show myself some fundamental Spanish as a result of I will probably be renting in Girona.
CN: Down the street, what do you suppose you’d love to do apart from biking?
AH: I’m not completely positive but, however I get pleasure from expressing my artistic facet with artwork and music. I may see myself taking over a job that includes biking in a roundabout way.