Cycling Champ/Cover Guy

Tyler Kirkwood ’15 was featured on the January 2023 cover of Allegany Magazine’s “Fascinating People” issue for winning the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship in Asheville, N.Ca. in July of 2022.

The 28-year-old Kirkwood won the men’s 25-29 age bracket, defeating 191 other total finishers including Ryan Collins from Annapolis. Kirkwood completed the race with a time of 5:18.23.

Among all the finishers across all age ranges, Kirkwood had the second-fastest time. He only trailed 32-year-old Felipe Aros from Miami.

He has won several other events this year including the Triple Peaks Grand Fondo in Winchester, Va., the GRUSK (Gravel Race Up Spruce Knob) in Circleville, W.Va., and the Garrett County Gran Fondo. Kirkwood qualified for the National Championship by placing second overall in last year’s National Series Gran Fondo in Frederick.

There were 236 competitors ranging in age from 17 to 80 years old among the men’s and women’s athletes.

By winning the national championship, Kirkwood qualified to compete in the Gran Fondo World Championships. However, because of logistics and timing, he was unable to compete.

(The previous write-up and photo appear courtesy of The Cumberland Times-News and Allegany Magazine.)