American Keira Bond has made waves in British cycling since moving to Sheffield for university in 2023. Less than a year later, the 20-year-old Alba Development Road Team rider soloed to victory in the Sheffield Grand Prix. Speaking to The British Continental, Bond reflects on her journey from Colorado to Yorkshire, adapting to British racing, and her decision to focus on the road after stepping back from cyclocross.
Stepping foot in Sheffield for the first time in the summer of 2023 as she embarked on a degree in Biochemistry and Genetics at the city’s university, American Keira Bond became the toast of her adopted home less than a year later as she soloed to a memorable victory in the Sheffield Grand Prix. The National Circuit Series win capped a rapid rise for the 20-year-old Alba Development Road Team rider, who had already marked her first twelve months in the UK with an excellent 20th in the U23 World Cyclocross Championship in Tábor following a winter mixing it with the world’s best on cyclocross’ most famous courses.
The Colorado native spoke to The British Continental during the off season to discuss her journey from racing on the highways of the US to winning on the cobblestones of Sheffield, the similarities between Colorado and Yorkshire, and why she is calling time on her cyclocross career, for now.
Keira Bond wins the 2024 McLaren Automotive Women’s Grand Prix. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Bond is one of the few Americans to race in Britain in recent years, the journey across the pond certainly one less travelled, her impact on the domestic scene not felt since fellow Boulder resident Dan Holloway’s stint with Raleigh-GAC in 2012. However, unlike her compatriot, Bond’s journey was made with more than just the bike in mind.
I decided to go to school in England, and the university I picked happened to be Sheffield
“The truth of it is, I didn’t really think about it that much,” she explains, when asked why she decided to study in Sheffield, her decision guided by the curriculum more than anything else. “When I was applying for uni,” she continues, “I had just had a big cycling crash and I wasn’t really ready to go to uni, so I applied to a university in the US and in the UK, but I had a year off and thought about it, thought about what I actually wanted to do with my life. I decided to go to school in England, and the university I picked happened to be Sheffield. I liked the course most here, and I saw ‘Sheffield, the outdoor city’, and thought ‘seems like I might like it there!’”
Despite her studies being at the forefront of her decision to move, Bond ensured that she would make the most of the opportunity to race in Europe as she pursues a career in the sport, her “dream”, like so many, a ride in the Women’s WorldTour.
“Before I moved I had already reached out to a bunch of teams, so I had already set up a stagiaire contract with Alba, which I think was helpful when I moved, just to have some security that I was still going to be able to race,” she explains, the opportunity offering her a taste of road racing this side of the Atlantic after limited experience in America, the 2023 Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix her first race on British soil in August.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“I was supposed to do a whole bunch of races with Alba, I ended up doing one for a number of different reasons,” she continues, riding September’s Rás na mBan with the American Cardinal Classic Cycling Team as well as experiencing the hectic nature of Belgian kermesses with the squad.
“That was kind of the extent of my road racing experience before this year, I hadn’t really done much,” Bond reflects, her prior experience in the US markedly different. “America has a lot of good racing, but it doesn’t have a lot of good road racing and the fields are so much smaller. The roads are bigger and you just have so much more room to move around in the bunch,” she explains, pointing out what a learning curve it is for a young rider coming across from the States.
In America, we had a couple of big stage races, but even then you’d be racing on highways in a bunch of 40, so to get to race in massive fields for the whole season was kind of crazy
“I think bunch skills are something I’ve really been able to work on now I’m over here, and just getting to race more and more. In America, we had a couple of big stage races, but even then you’d be racing on highways in a bunch of 40, so to get to race in massive fields for the whole season was kind of crazy. It’s really cool, but it was a massive change. It hurt me at first just how difficult it was to finish a race.”
Bond has made rapid progress over the course of 2024, catching the eye not only during the National Circuit Series but for bringing an aggressive approach to racing. “I think I’m not very patient which can be a bad thing as well!” she jokes when asked why she chooses to race in such a way. “When I turn up to a race, I’m there to race and I want it to be hard, I want it to be interesting and exciting and I don’t really love just being there for a get round then sprinting at the finish.
“I’d rather try something and it not work, and learn something from that, rather than sitting in, conserving energy, and waiting until the end. I think that frustrates people sometimes. I blow myself up because I’ve attacked too much and we’re only 23 minutes into the race!”
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Bond’s swashbuckling approach paid dividends in Sheffield, as she took advantage of the shortened race, attacking early and holding her advantage to the line in front of her friends in her adopted home city.
When the Series started, the first race in Otley, I didn’t do very well, I barely finished in the bunch. I struggled moving up and being well positioned, it was just really tough
“When the Series started, the first race in Otley, I didn’t do very well, I barely finished in the bunch. I struggled moving up and being well positioned, it was just really tough,” Bond outlines. Despite the difficult start, she would go on to show a remarkable adaptability as the series continued, playing a starring role in teammate Eilidh Shaw’s victory in Dudley, only a matter of days after cracking the top ten for the first time in Guildford.
“The next couple of races I started to get the hang of it, started to get near the front and I was joking around with some of my friends, asking if they were coming to watch Sheffield because I was going to win,” she continues.
“In the couple of days leading up to the race, I was like, maybe I actually can win Sheffield. I made a plan and executed it, and I think it was the first race I ever won that actually meant anything to me.
“[It] was just amazing. It was just such a dream. I was joking after Sheffield I should just retire now! I was riding a buzz all week from that.”
Turning her attention to 2025, Bond reveals that she hasn’t thought about any particular goals as she forms part of a strengthened Alba line up, relieved of star performer Eilidh Shaw, who moves to the UAE Development Team. “I’m really excited to be riding with Alba again next season, and we’ve got a really strong squad, so my main goal is just to be a part of that team and help the team have success,” she says, noting that she hopes to record another win after how “fun” her Sheffield triumph was.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“I think bigger goals would be in the National Series, those types of races, and over in Europe. We’re really lucky at Alba to have loads of opportunities to race there in the bigger pelotons, so I’d like to find my footing a bit better there and stay near the front of those races.”
The preparation for 2025 will start in a different way for Bond, who will forgo the cyclocross season despite finishing 20th in the U23 World Championship at the beginning of February and lining up against the best riders in the world at some of the most prestigious meets.
I actually had glandular fever for some of the cyclocross season and I didn’t really listen to my body and just kept racing
“I’ve made the decision this year to not race cyclocross,” she declares, after a tough season last winter took its toll on her health. “Last season, I am really proud of that performance at the worlds, and I don’t want to discount that, but I had a bit of a tough season. I actually had glandular fever for some of [it] and I didn’t really listen to my body and just kept racing. I kept doing races I wasn’t proud of, so I took a bit of time off before the worlds to retrain and focus, and I was happy with that performance, and obviously really grateful I got to race and represent my country.
Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
“This year, with it being my second year at university, I just wanted a bit more time off to properly prepare for the road season. I’m not saying goodbye to ‘cross forever, but for this year it’s definitely the right decision for me to take a break.”
Bond has thrown herself into university life in Sheffield, despite never visiting Yorkshire prior to moving there, the steel city not too dissimilar to her native city of Boulder.
I think I lucked out moving to Sheffield – I love it here, and there’s a great community of cyclists and outdoors people, and there’s great racing too
“There’s so many professional athletes and outdoorsy people that live in Boulder and love it there. I was really lucky to grow up there and I didn’t really realise that until I moved away,” she reflects. “It’s not too dissimilar to Sheffield. Obviously, it rains a lot more in Sheffield, but I think you get the same types of people who enjoy riding and running and generally being outside and appreciating nature.
“I think I lucked out [in moving to Sheffield] – I love it here, and there’s a great community of cyclists and outdoors people, and there’s great racing too.
“It was definitely a big risk [moving here], but I’ve had so much help from so many lovely people that enabled me to keep racing, even as a poor uni student who doesn’t have any money or a car!”
Stepping foot in Sheffield for the first time in the summer of 2023 as she embarked on a degree in Biochemistry and Genetics at the city’s university, American Keira Bond became the toast of her adopted home less than a year later as she soloed to a memorable victory in the Sheffield Grand Prix. The National Circuit Series win capped a rapid rise for the 20-year-old Alba Development Road Team rider, who had already marked her first twelve months in the UK with an excellent 20th in the U23 World Cyclocross Championship in Tábor following a winter mixing it with the world’s best on cyclocross’ most famous courses.
The Colorado native spoke to The British Continental during the off season to discuss her journey from racing on the highways of the US to winning on the cobblestones of Sheffield, the similarities between Colorado and Yorkshire, and why she is calling time on her cyclocross career, for now.
Bond is one of the few Americans to race in Britain in recent years, the journey across the pond certainly one less travelled, her impact on the domestic scene not felt since fellow Boulder resident Dan Holloway’s stint with Raleigh-GAC in 2012. However, unlike her compatriot, Bond’s journey was made with more than just the bike in mind.
“The truth of it is, I didn’t really think about it that much,” she explains, when asked why she decided to study in Sheffield, her decision guided by the curriculum more than anything else. “When I was applying for uni,” she continues, “I had just had a big cycling crash and I wasn’t really ready to go to uni, so I applied to a university in the US and in the UK, but I had a year off and thought about it, thought about what I actually wanted to do with my life. I decided to go to school in England, and the university I picked happened to be Sheffield. I liked the course most here, and I saw ‘Sheffield, the outdoor city’, and thought ‘seems like I might like it there!’”
Despite her studies being at the forefront of her decision to move, Bond ensured that she would make the most of the opportunity to race in Europe as she pursues a career in the sport, her “dream”, like so many, a ride in the Women’s WorldTour.
“Before I moved I had already reached out to a bunch of teams, so I had already set up a stagiaire contract with Alba, which I think was helpful when I moved, just to have some security that I was still going to be able to race,” she explains, the opportunity offering her a taste of road racing this side of the Atlantic after limited experience in America, the 2023 Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix her first race on British soil in August.
“I was supposed to do a whole bunch of races with Alba, I ended up doing one for a number of different reasons,” she continues, riding September’s Rás na mBan with the American Cardinal Classic Cycling Team as well as experiencing the hectic nature of Belgian kermesses with the squad.
“That was kind of the extent of my road racing experience before this year, I hadn’t really done much,” Bond reflects, her prior experience in the US markedly different. “America has a lot of good racing, but it doesn’t have a lot of good road racing and the fields are so much smaller. The roads are bigger and you just have so much more room to move around in the bunch,” she explains, pointing out what a learning curve it is for a young rider coming across from the States.
“I think bunch skills are something I’ve really been able to work on now I’m over here, and just getting to race more and more. In America, we had a couple of big stage races, but even then you’d be racing on highways in a bunch of 40, so to get to race in massive fields for the whole season was kind of crazy. It’s really cool, but it was a massive change. It hurt me at first just how difficult it was to finish a race.”
Bond has made rapid progress over the course of 2024, catching the eye not only during the National Circuit Series but for bringing an aggressive approach to racing. “I think I’m not very patient which can be a bad thing as well!” she jokes when asked why she chooses to race in such a way. “When I turn up to a race, I’m there to race and I want it to be hard, I want it to be interesting and exciting and I don’t really love just being there for a get round then sprinting at the finish.
“I’d rather try something and it not work, and learn something from that, rather than sitting in, conserving energy, and waiting until the end. I think that frustrates people sometimes. I blow myself up because I’ve attacked too much and we’re only 23 minutes into the race!”
Bond’s swashbuckling approach paid dividends in Sheffield, as she took advantage of the shortened race, attacking early and holding her advantage to the line in front of her friends in her adopted home city.
“When the Series started, the first race in Otley, I didn’t do very well, I barely finished in the bunch. I struggled moving up and being well positioned, it was just really tough,” Bond outlines. Despite the difficult start, she would go on to show a remarkable adaptability as the series continued, playing a starring role in teammate Eilidh Shaw’s victory in Dudley, only a matter of days after cracking the top ten for the first time in Guildford.
“The next couple of races I started to get the hang of it, started to get near the front and I was joking around with some of my friends, asking if they were coming to watch Sheffield because I was going to win,” she continues.
“In the couple of days leading up to the race, I was like, maybe I actually can win Sheffield. I made a plan and executed it, and I think it was the first race I ever won that actually meant anything to me.
“[It] was just amazing. It was just such a dream. I was joking after Sheffield I should just retire now! I was riding a buzz all week from that.”
Turning her attention to 2025, Bond reveals that she hasn’t thought about any particular goals as she forms part of a strengthened Alba line up, relieved of star performer Eilidh Shaw, who moves to the UAE Development Team. “I’m really excited to be riding with Alba again next season, and we’ve got a really strong squad, so my main goal is just to be a part of that team and help the team have success,” she says, noting that she hopes to record another win after how “fun” her Sheffield triumph was.
“I think bigger goals would be in the National Series, those types of races, and over in Europe. We’re really lucky at Alba to have loads of opportunities to race there in the bigger pelotons, so I’d like to find my footing a bit better there and stay near the front of those races.”
The preparation for 2025 will start in a different way for Bond, who will forgo the cyclocross season despite finishing 20th in the U23 World Championship at the beginning of February and lining up against the best riders in the world at some of the most prestigious meets.
“I’ve made the decision this year to not race cyclocross,” she declares, after a tough season last winter took its toll on her health. “Last season, I am really proud of that performance at the worlds, and I don’t want to discount that, but I had a bit of a tough season. I actually had glandular fever for some of [it] and I didn’t really listen to my body and just kept racing. I kept doing races I wasn’t proud of, so I took a bit of time off before the worlds to retrain and focus, and I was happy with that performance, and obviously really grateful I got to race and represent my country.
“This year, with it being my second year at university, I just wanted a bit more time off to properly prepare for the road season. I’m not saying goodbye to ‘cross forever, but for this year it’s definitely the right decision for me to take a break.”
Bond has thrown herself into university life in Sheffield, despite never visiting Yorkshire prior to moving there, the steel city not too dissimilar to her native city of Boulder.
“There’s so many professional athletes and outdoorsy people that live in Boulder and love it there. I was really lucky to grow up there and I didn’t really realise that until I moved away,” she reflects. “It’s not too dissimilar to Sheffield. Obviously, it rains a lot more in Sheffield, but I think you get the same types of people who enjoy riding and running and generally being outside and appreciating nature.
“I think I lucked out [in moving to Sheffield] – I love it here, and there’s a great community of cyclists and outdoors people, and there’s great racing too.
“It was definitely a big risk [moving here], but I’ve had so much help from so many lovely people that enabled me to keep racing, even as a poor uni student who doesn’t have any money or a car!”
Featured image: SWpix.com
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