The high-performance team that brought Gunnar to MTB World Cups, Ava to a CX worlds silver and Isabella to the rainbow jersey for cyclocross
Photo by: Courtesy Rob Holmgren
This story originally appeared in the June/July 2021 issue of Canadian Cycling Magazine by Jake Williams
In late July 2000, elite Canadian mountain bike racer Lisa Holmgren and national coach Rob Holmgren had just landed in Puerto Rico to take part in the Pan Am mountain bike championships. The married couple, having left their one-year-old son Gunnar with Lisa’s parents, were stuck at the airport in 40 C heat with nobody to pick them up, and barely any idea of where to go. “It was the trip from hell,” said Rob Holmgren, more than 20 years later as he recalled the international adventure. “I had to put everyone up in a hotel on my student credit card, which was just about maxed.” The Holmgrens shared mattresses on the floor with three riders from Quebec whom they had just met. “That would not happen today, I’ll tell ya,” Rob chuckled.
Lisa had a great result despite racing on a hot and muggy day in early August. The winner was Quebec’s emerging star Marie-Hélène Prémont. Rob recalled that Prémont had brought all of her own food to the event, something he considered a huge lesson. “Prémont was very smart, and had been travelling a lot and was prepared,” Rob said. “Our diet was basically exclusive trips to Burger King.”
Lisa was born and […]
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