Abi Smith started cycling as a four-year-old when she would ride her pink bike through the village to collect eggs from her neighbor’s chickens. Today, she is proud to race her second professional season with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB (the fact that she now gets to race a pink bike is the icing on the cake!).

Growing up in Yorkshire, England, her parents encouraged Abi and her older brother to spend lots of time outside and keep active, and signed them up for the Yorkshire Regional Triathlon Series. Abi competed in the series for eight years before concluding that cycling was her strongest discipline. She switched her focus to road racing in 2018 as a 16-year-old, lining up for the National Youth Road Series that year. Her strength and consistency caught the attention of a British Cycling coach, who offered her a spot in the junior academy program the following season. Abi cut her teeth on the road and on the track with the British Cycling Academy. She calls WorldTour racing with the team the biggest opportunity of her life.

The 20-year-old is focused on gaining experience in the peloton and learning from her teammates. The 2022 season offered Abi plenty of new experiences, including spending over 100 kilometers in the breakaway at Scheldeprijs, racing the 10-stage Giro Donne, and competing in the Commonwealth Games.

She lists her diesel engine as her greatest asset, which is useful for chasing down breakaways, late race attacks and time trials.

During down time, Abi often turns to art. You can see some of her work here.