Words James Ion - Photography Avery Stumm
Alexey Vermeulen is a man on a mission. Not just to win races but to ensure that racers keep winning. I sat down with the affable Yank to discuss his goals for himself and the sport.
“My parents forced me to invest in Stocks and Shares” laughs Alexey from his Colorado home. He is smiling at the memory but he is serious. The American ex-roadie turned GRVL Pro, as to be highlighted in this conversation, has a good level of business acumen which was instilled at a young age “Yeah my Aunt Betsy would just say ‘Hey you have stocks in Heineken’ and I’d be like OK!”.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Many might know Alexey Vermeulen as the guy with the dog, Sir Willie the Wiener, who is often spotted riding along with him in a backpack. He has also finished second twice on the LifeTime Grand Prix along with a string of wins and podiums across GRVL and MTB and at only 29 he still has a lot to give, and it's not just in racing.
“It’s all about Flannel right now” Alexey tells me “I’m working on 2025 and a local Flannel company from my home town has been in touch.” Alexey is full of energy and the impression he gives is that this is not just a sport its a passion, from the training to the marketing and strategic planning, every aspect seems to get him excited. “It's no longer just ride your bike hard, if you see an opportunity you have to take it. GRVL is still such a niche market but it means you can create your own menu and promote yourself through various content. I have learnt so much since coming to GRVL, about marketing and self-promotion, the experience it has given me I think I could work in any marketing environment.”
Alexey came to GRVL in 2021 after a promising road career stalled. He cut his teeth with the BMC development team before landing a great opportunity in the World Tour with Lotto Jumbo in 2016.
Things didn’t turn out as expected and in 2021 after initially considering going all in on MTB, to GRVL’s gain he joined the Privateer ranks and started with some great results including first place at Belgian Waffel Ride (BWR) California. But it is his success in the LifeTime Grand Prix that has been most impressive, finishing second in the past two editions behind the almost unstoppable Keegen Swenson on both occasions.
“Life Time is the reason for my financial success” reflects Alexey “Having great results there has made it easier in terms of sponsors which ensures I can keep going. It shows as well that you don’t need to be winning all the time to make more money you can be a successful Privateer if you are providing a marketable product for your sponsors. COVID had a big impact on rider power as the lack of racing meant that sponsors turned to riders to get the content out there.”
Phase ii
“I have learnt so much since coming to GRVL. All I have done is cycling, I didn’t go to college, and that was maybe a plan when I finished on the Road, but things moved so fast that it just wasn't an option any more. After years of having everything organised for me being a Privateer meant getting to grips with all the ‘adult shit’.” Alexey's early introduction to stocks and shares and the importance of investment and financial stability has helped him on his privateer journey. Still, it is not a skill that every sports professional has, especially when starting at a young age. It has led Alexey to spearhead the Phase II project in collaboration with ENVE, one of his principal sponsors.
“When I was starting in cycling there was a clear pathway to get to the top of Road Racing, but this just doesn't exist any more, from Highschool there is just nothing, and you have to decide to either take a risk and skip college to make sure you can have time to race, but with the risk it won't work out, or you give up on being a pro and focus on education. The privateer model can create a pathway where you can do both, Phase II will make that possible for two riders in the US.”
Phase II is for US-based athletes only who are between 18 and 23, its principal goal is to provide riders with exposure to give them the chance to go professional, but it is not just racing and results it is about making a positive change to the current system.
“We need to grow the future of the sport, and that comes from developing the next riders. The depth is just not there, right now you can look at the start list and you can probably guess who will be in the top five. Phase II will give two riders the chance to experience the Grand Prix and hopefully become fully rounded adults ready to manage their way into the pro ranks.” The project should not be seen as a stand-alone promotional gimmick, far from it Alexey and ENVE want this to be an open-source project that other companies and sponsors will also use and thus create other development opportunities.
“That would be great to have other programs and to have a ‘Baby GP’ that operates alongside the full GP but it requires a lot of buy-in from race organisers and companies, but investment in the future is the only way to move the sport forward.”
This is not the only project Alexey is involved with. For the past four years, he has been running the “From the Ground Up” project which he created with his friend Ryan Petry intending to get someone with little to no experience ready for one of the biggest races in only five months!
“It’s so relatable to see the hard work pay off to see the effort the riders go through”
From the Ground Up started as most things do on a bike ride. Taking on a 500km ride with his friend Ryan they spoke about everything including how to impact beginners. Thus a new project was born, initially, it was planned to be a Colorado-based idea but it soon became apparent there was a lot of interest when 1200 applicants applied in the first year! Clearly, there was and still is an appetite for such adventures.
Now in its fourth season, the race has switched from the Leadville 100 to SBT GRVL. “It took three attempts to get someone over the finish line, but that was never the most important aspect, it was about getting someone from the couch to the start line. Five months is crazy to get ready for something like Leadville, but it was so inspiring. This year it was just so exciting to be around the team at SBT. I was racing but spent the night before getting six bikes ready
Recently Alexey was quoted as saying he struggles to find races that excite him, but the truth is a bit more nuanced “Racing excites me!” states Alexey “I am so stoked to have the races we have, the GP is so competitive, to go up against the best 30 riders in GRVL is just awesome! The issue is that there are a limited amount of races, the GP is the same 7 courses each year. There are more races on offer but at the moment I have to prioritise the GP” and talking through the race, not the most ideal pre-race prep for me but so cool to be part of these small moments and to be part of the community, then seeing Kirsten Meyers a mother of six from Texas who just wouldn't give up was so special! The project feels like we have caught a star!”
Exciting Times
It is not just the racing that excites Alexey it is the whole program, from impacting the sport to the experiences along the way. He enthuses someone full of passion and with a commitment to promoting the sport he loves. “We truly can become better selves” he muses “We have such a unique sport where anyone can make it and anyone can try it”
“It’s exciting to be a part of as it could go anywhere, it could be an Olympic sport in 2032, who knows! As athletes, it is important to be part of the development, to ensure the sport's longevity.”
Whatever comes next for the sport you can guarantee that Alexey will be excitedly part of its progression and investing in its future.
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