Maple Ridge Olympian and professional cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster has a new team.
Fresh off the Paris Games, she was recently announced as the newest member of the Human Powered Health Cycling professional team, as the team's first signing for 2025.
“To be on an American Women’s WorldTour team is special,” Coles-Lyster said. “From my days racing BC Superweek at 14 years old and seeing the Optum women’s team there, it’s always been a team on the horizon for me. Since Human Powered Health stepped up to WorldTour and then focused on women’s cycling, I’ve heard nothing but good things. The staff seems incredible, which builds a solid foundation and that increases my excitement even more.”
A national road champion in 2022, Coles-Lyster was an Olympian on the track at Paris 2024 and raced the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift the following day, sprinting to eighth on stage two. She scored two podiums at the Thüringen Ladies Tour in 2024, fifth at Ronde de Mouscron and tenth at Gent-Wevelgem.
“To come to a program that will help me step it up to that next degree of development is important,” she explained. “I’ve figured it out on a large scale and now it’s time to fine-tune details with a team that will support that.”
She has a focus on balance, and pillars of performance embraced by her new team. Coles-Lyster started practicing yoga 10 years ago and is now a teacher.
“No matter where I am, it’s a routine I have before bed. No matter what time zone I’m in, it adds structure and familiarity to my day,” she said. “As I trained as a teacher, I fell in love with the breathe work and mindfulness more than the physical practice. I can feel those effects when I am riding, with breathe work rhythm and emotion regulation, addressing anxieties before races, and using visualization work to prepare for racing sprints.”
The past year has been a roller coaster of emotion for Coles-Lyster, but it was a year that cemented her love for the bike. She will now focus on road racing and developing her classics abilities, with her positioning and energy management skills honed on the track.
“We will focus with Maggie in the classics but she will also be super strong in Daria’s lead-out,” said Kenny Latomme, team manager. “Maggie can place herself really well and this is what is needed. Of course she did well in Gent-Wevelgem, and if you do well in a tough race like this then there are plenty of chances for her to shine.”
