Taylor Phinney's comeback is on after 16 year hiatus: 'I’m actually part of the programme now'
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Follow us on GoogleAmerican Taylor Phinney is out of retirement and gearing up for the long road to the Olympics in LA 2028. Now 36, the formerly-retired cyclist is back at the World Championships in Shanghai, even if his teammates barely remember his former glory.
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Phinney is back in the elite set up, and taking it all in his stride
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Phinney has been back training hard for the first time in years
When Phinney first received the phone call asking if he was interested in a return to the track, he assumed it was a prank.
"I thought it was a funny joke that somebody would even think that I was still capable of doing that." After all, it's been seven years since the Colorado native raced on the roads, and sixteen since he competed on the track.
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The phone call planted a seed in his head, which has developed into an enormous drive to compete at the LA Olympics.
Phinney said: "It felt very cinematic, and it felt like it would close a loop on my career that I never actually closed on the track ever since the individual pursuit was taken out of the Olympic programme. So I thought I’d give it a shot."
Out of retirement, and into the wind tunnel
Phinney was invited to the USA team camp in April, and treating it like a trial run, he went and experiment with bike positions and aerodynamics.
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Phiney posted a then-and-now, highlighting the breadth of his career
"We've been to the wind tunnel, I'm part of the program now," he said.
This summer, he returned for another team camp, and was soon back to the swing of elite training.
“It feels like a nice continuation of something that I closed a long time ago, time is funny, you know- it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago.”
Phinney to line up in Shangai with strong team around him
This week's track championships are a key stepping stone in the road to LA 2028. Phinney is quietly confident, and praised his young team mate, 19-year-old Ashlin Barry.
The youngster may be a key hope for the Americans, but Phinney wryly pointed out the age difference on the team.
“The first World Championship that I won, he was two.”
Even with the hope of a medal hanging over him, Phinney is pretty happy just to be where he is.
"Just to be here at the Worlds and to be part of the team and feel like I’m actually an elite athlete competing at the highest level with the three or four other best team pursuiters in the country, that’s something I would not have predicted for myself even last year in October," he said.
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- The article calls the Giro the likely option, but Seixas has said the Tour is his lifetime goal. That seems a bit premature—wouldn’t the team want him back at the Tour after finishing fourth?gearguru3314-10-2026
- Five weeks between the Tour and Worlds sounds like plenty of time to recover and get ready again. I’d love to see him go for both.sprocketspiny14-10-2026
- Why does the Vuelta start just six days after the Worlds? Do riders ever compete in both, or is that turnaround generally too short?davidm14-10-2026
- He’s had an extraordinary season, but there’s no need to rush him into targeting everything at once. A gradual build towards the Tour could pay off in the long run.lindae14-10-2026
- That Worlds course sounds tailor-made for Seixas. Twenty ascents of Domancy is savage, and racing at home could make it a huge day for him.andrewf14-10-2026
- The Giro looks like a sensible next step: a chance to lead a Grand Tour team without the full weight of the Tour-Pogačar hype. But with Evenepoel and Del Toro potentially on the start list, it won’t be an easy podium.jennifer1914-10-2026
- I’m still learning about these races—was the lamppost on the course, or did he hit it after going off the road? Either way, a frightening crash, and I hope his recovery keeps moving forward.julien13-10-2026
- That “streetlights can put up quite a fight” line is some gallows humour. Incredible resilience from Caudell and everyone helping him through rehab.cyclechamp4513-10-2026
- The ECMO details really put the seriousness of the crash into perspective. It’s good to hear he’s making progress, and I hope the cycling community continues to support his family.raceready713-10-2026
- Walking and communicating after injuries this severe is a huge milestone. Wishing Ezra and his family strength for the long road ahead.bikebuffj13-10-2026
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