Get To Know Astellas Cycling Team... Hogan Sills

New for 2014, we are proud to sponsor Astellas Cycling in the team's first year as domestic professionals. Get to know the team: 

Name: Hogan Sills

Age: 24 (in May)

Hometown: Champaign, IL

How did you start cycling?

My dad raced as a junior when he was in high school. He picked up racing again about ten years ago, and I started riding and training with him then. After my first race at the age of 15, I was hooked.

What do you like about cycling?

I love the speed, tactics, and the journey of training. 

What do you not like?

Of course, I don’t like to crash. Also, I wish cycling would take off more in the U.S. so riders would be supported more to focus on training and racing.

What do you do outside of cycling? Jobs, hobbies, family? 

I like to snow ski, fish, and do anything outdoors. I also have a degree in civil engineering from Purdue.

When did you start riding with Astellas?

I rode for Astellas two years ago. Last year I moved to a smaller team, but I am excited to be back now.

How do you feel about becoming a Professional domestic team this year? 

It’s very exciting. I always dreamed of riding professionally as a kid and even at a young age I trained hard for this. I’m more motivated than I’ve ever been, and I realize that just because I’m a Pro now, doesn’t make me magically faster. I have to train that much more.

What type of racing is your “specialty?” 

I’ve always had a good sprint, so criteriums are my specialty. I also tend to do well on hilly road courses.

What races are you excited for this year? 

I’m most excited for the North Star Grand Prix, the USPRO National Road Race, and the USPRO National Criterium.

What bike will you be riding this year? 

The L1R.

Anything else? Tips, tricks, advice? 

My philosophy for chasing the Pro dream was to never put all my eggs in one basket. A college degree is the most important investment for your career (probably not cycling), so I always put that first, and then trained for cycling in my free time. It works if you make a schedule and stick to it. There’s a lot of life after cycling, so don’t forget about that in your pursuit of going Pro.

Check out Hogan's blog "Hogan's Heroes" and follow Hogan on Twitter at @hogansills, and don't forget to follow @astellascycling on Twitter and "like" Astellas Cycling on Facebook.