TED Talks: 7 Things you Probably Didn’t Know About Pro Cyclist Ted King

WORLDS is here. And by that I mean the UCI Road World Cycling Championships have officially descended upon Richmond, Virginia. If you’ve been dropped and need a quick catch-up (cycling pun intended) check out our first post.

In honor of the momentous occasion, we’re making a bit of history of our own with our very first cycling event, the Colonial Fondo, a weekend of beer, bikes & BBQ. Pro rider Ted King will lead the weekend’s festivities, and we can’t wait to get rolling. If you aren’t signed up yet, there’s still time! There will be great riding, delicious food, fantastic people, and hilarious jerseys. And I mean, have you ever had the Fifes and Drums kick off a ride? But I digress.

So, who is Ted King?

In the cycling world, Ted needs no introduction, but let’s go ahead and give him one anyway. Hailing from my home state, the great State of New Hampshire, Ted King has been riding in the professional ranks since 2006. He’s a veteran of four Grand Tours, been a member of the US National team, and finished in the top 10 at the National Road Cycling Championships multiple times. Since 2011 he’s been riding Cannondale bikes, and was notably an integral part of Slovakian Peter Sagan’s countless wins. In 2015, King joined the newly formed American team of Cannondale-Garmin.

King is a proud partner to the Krempels King of the Road Challenge charity ride and co-founder of the all-natural energy company Untapped which is changing the face of sports nutrition with a flavor from New England. And he’s just officially announced his retirement! Let’s help him kick it off with a fantastic Williamsburg weekend, shall we?

Now, Back to those Questions

Let’s start with an easy one. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life it would be…
Pumpkin. Why? Because there’s pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin purée in place of tomato sauce on a pizza… Seriously, pumpkin is delish.

Favorite movie?
The Departed is pretty great.

The CW classic: favorite founding father?
I’m a longtime fan of Thomas Jefferson. He’s an entrepreneurial, pioneering fellow which are traits I admire.

This is a big year for you, what are your “retirement” plans for the next couple months?
I’m telling people that I’ll move to Florida and take up bocce, golf, and 4:30pm dinners. Buuuut that’s something of a fib. I love this sport and the connections, relationships, friendships, adventures, and experiences it’s provided me. I’ve carved out a pretty unique niche these past ten years and I’d like to take advantage of that as I segue into whatever it is that’s “next.” I’ll stay involved in cycling with some really great sponsors that see me doing things like THIS in the coming years. The face of cycling is changing, especially here in America. It’s the shared experience and camaraderie and the very human aspect of cycling that draws people to this sport—much more so than purely racing. I still love riding and I want to help spread the joy found in the simplicity of a bike.

Long-term do you see yourself living in one place in particular?
I’m zeroing in on something. It’s likely east of the Pacific and west of the Atlantic. Again, it’s to be determined. I have family primarily in New England, but there’s a draw to northern california for me right now. I have some great friends and connections out there that fit the entrepreneurial, techy yet hipster, coffee loving, outdoor adventure crowd. So, we’ll see.

You’ve ridden much of Europe, can you give 3 must-rides for cyclists heading on a Euro vacation?
One, Chianti is picture perfect. The food and wine only echoes the case for riding there. Two, the Dolomites up in northern Italy are absolutely stunning. Venturing into Austria toward the Tirol region and near Kitzbuhel is worth the trip too. And three, the eastern Pyrenees up in the Catalonia region of Spain has been home for a half dozen years. The riding and culture there are incredible.

Will this be your first trip to visit Colonial Williamsburg?
Sure is! I lived in Asheville, NC for a while and love that area but this is new to me. Williamsburg here I come!

Thanks, Ted!

Will you be joining the Colonial Fondo ride? Have a question for Ted? Plan to catch any of the UCI races in Richmond?