"I do wish cycling could be more accessible" - Neilson Powless wants more to be done to attract next generation of riders

Neilson Powless has emerged as one of the leading American talents in the pro peloton over recent seasons, taking notable victories at races such as Classica San Sebastian, Gran Piemonte and the Etoile de Bessèges among others. For the 28-year-old though, his role is important than just taking victories.

In 2020, Powless made history as the first rider of Native American descent to ride the Tour de France and his position as a leading sporting figure of his people is one he takes very seriously. "It's hard to know the impact of what I'm doing in specific communities, but I can see the interest through Native news outlets reaching out and social media interactions. Many people in those communities still don't know a whole lot about cycling, but they know that there are a few Native athletes now in pro cycling, so they’ve started to follow along," he explains to Men's Health. "That's a really positive thing and I hope that the growth in [participation in those] communities follows."

That's not to say it will be easy though. As he notes, the sport of cycling still has some work to do to get more kids involved. "I do wish cycling could be more accessible. I hope to get more involved in making it more accessible once my professional career is done and I have more time to commit to that cause—and when my life is actually in America," Powless explains. "Right now, my time and energy are the most limited resources I have. I'm spending 11 months of the year in Europe. So I am fairly limited in what I can do, but I hope that I can make cycling more accessible when I'm older because it's a beautiful sport."

As mentioned though, as a leading Native American sportsman, Powless is already bringing the sport to new eyes. "There definitely are a lot of Native people I don't know who are rooting for me," the EF Education-EasyPost man concludes. "The way I act and conduct myself matters more than the results I’m getting because at this level everyone is a very good athlete. People will remember the moments where I’m hopefully inspiring people or leaving people with a good taste in their mouth after an interview or the way I act toward reporters or competitors in a race. The responsibility that I put on myself is to always be the person I want people to see."