In September 2009 Evelyn (Evie) Stevens rode her heart out in the World Road Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland for the US team. After monster pulls at the front and hard work for her team, Stevens finished 15th overall, a stellar result for a racer who began competing in June 2008.

Many of her friends in New York and members of CRCA gathered on September 27th to watch the Women’s Worlds live. During the race I sat next to her then and current coach Matthew Koschara. He told me first hand about how hard she trained, her rise as a local and national racer, to representing the US team in the Worlds and then a pro deal with HTC Columbia.

In early February 2010, I sat down with Stevens at a coffee shop on the Upper West Side and asked her about her current life as a first year professional, her career in finance, training and racing and life in general.

O’Malley: You just returned from a training camp in Majorca. How was it?

Evie Stevens: It was a great experience, got to meet the team. Everyone was there, a phenomenal group of women.

O’M: How many women on the team?

ES: There are eleven women on the team, including myself from a variety of different nations.

Stevens Drills it at the front: Worlds Sept. 2009

O’M: Give me a daily routine at the camp?

ES: I was usually up around 730 or 8am for breakfast. I’d have oatmeal, yogurt, hard boiled eggs and coffee at camp. That would take 20 minutes or 30. Then the team would warm up a bit before we got on our bikes. We would usually ride between 4-6 hours around Majorca, which is a beautiful island and wonderful riding.

O’M: And after the training ride?

ES: We’d come back to the hotel and usually have a recovery shake. PowerBar’s chocolate flavor is my favorite. Then lunch, a massage, some down time for either reading or meetings and then dinner and bed. It was a really great camp and the staff made it all run so seamlessly.

O’M: Are you glad you left Wall Street?

ES: I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a professional cyclist. I look at this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really enjoyed working in finance and learned a lot, but this is an opportunity to live out a dream.

O’M: Do you miss the 9-5 grind?

ES: [laughing] I am enjoying riding my bike full time!

O’M: When did you decide no more high finance?

ES: I left my job in June of 2009; the timing made sense and based on my love of the sport and passion for competing I wanted to see how far I could go in cycling. I had started working with Matthew Koschara back in the fall of 2008 and had been following his program the whole year (which at times is quite hard!) in hopes of being able to succeed at the highest level. I was very fortunate and the summer went really well, with Fitchburg starting less than a week after I left my job.

O’M: How has the transition been?

ES: Being able to do what you love everyday is pretty wonderful. One of the best parts about the switch is the more time I have to recover and sleep. My coach, Matthew Koschara has been so helpful in making the transition to a full time professional pretty seamless as well.

O’M: How many hours sleep do you get?

ES: Nine and a half or ten. [Laughing] When I was in investment banking I got much less sleep.

O’M: Where did you work?

ES: Two years at Lehman Brothers in investment banking where I was a power and energy analyst. I did project finance and M & A. Then I spent the last two years at Gleacher Mezzanine as an associate.

Stevens at Harlem Criterium (Having finished Housatonic Hills earlier in the day)

O’M: Are there any parallels between racing at pro level and finance?

ES: Yes, I think so, both finance and cycling require a strong work ethic. There’s a competitive element in the world of finance and in pro racing. Also, a race has to be analyzed in a moment. Not only the strongest win, the smartest racer gets over the line first.

O’M: How were your parents when you decided to leave finance?

ES: They’re happy I’m going after this. They love watching me go after my dream. I’m really fortunate to have such a supportive and loving family. I am one of five kids and everyone in my family has been big supporters. My parents even got up at three in the morning to watch Worlds live on the internet!

O’M: Did your family travel to any races?

ES: My parents came to see me at the GMSR and Fitchburg crits, it was great to have them there.

O’M: Have any of your friends changed career after what you have done, especially due to the financial crisis in 2008/2009?

ES: A lot of my friends went back to business school. Some friends made switches to other careers. My friends have also been very supportive of my switch.

O’M: What other sports did you do before cycling?

ES: I played tennis at Dartmouth but was benched more than I played. After college, I ran a lot as a way to stay in shape, to stay sane [laughing].

O’M: What kind of mileage do you do off season?

ES: Matthew doesn’t really have me train as much by mileage, rather time, quality and intensity.

O’M: Where have you lived over the last two years?

ES: I moved to NYC right after I graduated in June of 2005, but right now I would say I have a bit more of a nomadic existence. I will be based in Europe for the race season.

O’M: How have you dealt with all the traveling?

ES: There’s a lot of travelling on planes so I have to settle into that routine. I’m learning how to travel with compression socks and pants on the plane and I try to read a lot on flights and am learning to relax.

O’M: During the race what do you typically eat?

ES: PowerBar gummies, gels and water. Also electrolyte mixes. I like to have pockets full of food. Bonking is not fun.

O’M: Before and after a race?

ES: Most races in Europe start in the afternoon, so I’d usually eat a breakfast of toast, peanut butter, bananas and hard boiled eggs and then maybe pasta or rice a few hours before the race. After a race I have a sandwich and maybe a recovery drink. Our soigneurs make the best sandwiches. Sometimes a cold Coca Cola tastes great after a race as well.

O’M: What kind of equipment do you have?

ES: Scott bikes, one for training and the other for racing. I use an

SRM. Its awesome although I wasn’t the most data tuned person, now I am.

Guest riding for WebCor, Winner Cascade Classic Stage 1

O’M: Do you have any advice for amateur racers, men and women in particular?

ES: You’ve got to really love it and not be afraid of blowing up. Try out a bunch of new things. Try attacking on a climb. Try new stuff out and don’t get discouraged.

Stevens first across the line Bear Mountain May 2009 – CRCA’s biggest race

O’M: You were in South America this fall, correct?

ES: Yes, as part of a HTC-Columbia’s continuing partnership with the Right to Play, [an international humanitarian organization which uses sport and play programs to improve the lives of children and communities worldwide], I was able to travel to Peru with Ina Teutenberg and Craig Lewis. It was a really incredible experience. We visited a region up in the Andes, where we went to small villages to visit schools, meet the kids and teachers and see how Right to Play is being implemented. I was able to see first hand what an impact the Right to Play is having on these communities. Sport and play for these kids helps teach the benefits of teamwork, self-confidence, respecting themselves and others. Sport has always played a major role in shaping my life, and it was an incredible opportunity to share my love of sport and play with the kids I met.

O’M: Evie, thanks so much for your time and I’m sure all of us in New York and the CRCA wish you all the best in your professional career. In September you did us proud. We were all roaring for you in The Parlour on 86th Street.

ES: Thanks. When I was climbing in the Worlds I was thinking of the cheers back in New York and all the CRCA supporters and that gave me strength to go through the pain.