Call It a Comeback: Phinney Targets Track Selection for USA Cycling at LA Olympics

Taylor Phinney, the former road and track star, has announced his intention to target a spot on the USA Cycling track team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Phinney, who retired from professional cycling in 2019, aims to compete in the team pursuit, a discipline where he previously won two world championships and an Olympic silver medal in 2012. This marks a significant pivot for the 34-year-old, nearly two decades after his initial Olympic debut.

This comeback attempt is notable given Phinney's five-year absence from elite competition and his well-documented struggles with injury and motivation towards the end of his road career. His return to the velodrome, a place of past success, suggests a desire to bookend a distinguished career on his own terms and on home soil. For USA Cycling, Phinney's experience and raw power, if he can regain it, could be a valuable asset in a discipline where they seek to challenge the established European and Oceanic powerhouses.

While the romanticism of a home Olympics comeback is undeniable, the path to 2028 is long and arduous. Phinney will need more than just ambition; he'll need to prove he can still turn the pedals with the best, a task that rarely gets easier with age.