Eleanor Wiseman
(Click for photo with
with Jennifer Wilson,
following
Grasshopper Low Gap
dirt ride

I started racing triathlons when I moved to the US, as a way to meet people and make new friends. In 2015, I started racing with U.C. Berkeley's collegiate triathlon team. I also jumped in a few collegiate cycling races when I could fit it in my triathlon schedule and training. They were fun and very different to triathlon!

Unfortunately in 2017, I seriously injured my knee: I had to take 9 months and cannot run anymore. I had to abandon my triathlon goals but I still wanted to race competitively and saw this as an opportunity to focus on cycling. And I have no regrets! The thought of being able to get back on my bike helped me during my long and difficult rehabilitation.

Midway through the 2018 season, I was able to race again. Since then, I have learnt a lot, got given incredible opportunities such as racing Redlands and Tour of America Dairyland for LGBRC and met an amazing friends and community. achievement: Finishing Redlands Classics in 2019 (with LGBRC's composite team) when I had just gotten my Cat 2 upgrade and taking 2nd in the white jersey amateur classification is an achievement I am proud of. It was my first professional race and first long stage race. It changed me as a racer and as a person.

I am excited to be able to race this season with a lot of the teammates I raced with on the LGBRC composite teams last year. I am also proud of having had the opportunity to wear the leader's jersey for the West Coast Collegiate Cycling (WCCC) at Collegiate National Championships in 2019 having won most of the collegiate races I took part in that season.

I am a PhD student at U.C. Berkeley in Economics, focusing on development economics (economics for developing countries). My research interests are in information corruption, bargaining, trade and technology adoption and most of my projects are located in Africa and India. Juggling a demanding work and travel schedule with cycling has taught me a lot and am still learning every day (any tips are welcome!) but am very grateful I get to pursue both passions.

I am also an avid consumer of baby carrots and mustard - come talk to me if you are skeptical of this combo!