Eight underrated riders who deserve more credit

It's almost impossible to avoid seeing Marlies Mejías dart her way to the front of bike races across North America. She scored more than 44 podiums this season, 24 of them wins.

So why would such a successful rider, who excels on the road as well as the track, be underrated? She represented Cuba on the track at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and became the first Cuban woman living in the country to sign a professional cycling contract with an international team. But then her ability to shine on a global stage vanished.

The Cuban-born sprinter had her first child in 2019 and was removed from the Cuban National Team for being pregnant. She then began a long process of setting up a home with her husband and daughter in Virginia and restarting her career with Virginia's Blue Ridge-TWENTY28, her travel restricted outside the US due to visa restrictions.

Mejías was welcomed back to Cuba this year for the first time in seven years to compete at Road Nationals. She promptly swept titles in the time trial and road race.

Now with Mejías back on the international stage, and her eagerness to gain a spot on the Cuban National Team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she should be back in the spotlight beyond domestic US racing and talked about as a threat in any sprint.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/eight-underrated-riders-who-deserve-more-credit-according-to-us/

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