The American cyclist pedaling towards the Olympic goal

High personal goals propels Sheffield forward in bounce back season

As part of a blog post On his professional team’s website in February, Sheffield reflected on a tumultuous 2023 season that saw him hospitalized and another rider killed after a pair of brutal solo crashes during the 2023 Tour of Switzerland.

“The accident reminded me how fragile life can be.” Sheffield wrote. “I feel incredibly lucky to be alive, to be able to walk, and even luckier to continue to compete professionally.”

During the recovery time that followed, he struggled with a range of complex emotions and thoughts about cycling. Then, he thought about what he wanted to achieve in sports.

“This year is special with the Olympics in Paris where I am very motivated to focus on the individual time trial and the road race,” noted Sheffield.

The New York-born cyclist based in Andorra has never been to Olympic Games. He is a strong candidate for US Olympic Teambut faces stiff competition in the sport with plenty of up-and-coming talent but few athlete quotas*.

While the strong and long nature of Paris 2024 the road racing course caters to Sheffield’s style, he will have to contend with the likes of Neilson Powless, Brandon McNulty, Kevin Vermaerke and Matteo Jorgenson for a place in the team.

*As National Olympic Committees have the sole authority to represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation in the Paris Games depends on their selection to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.