Chloe Hosking shows her strength both physically and mentally in Norway. Photo: Chloe Hosking Twitter.
Chloe Hosking still remembers the day her passion for cycling was ignited.
She was riding with her dad Steven along the road next to Exhibition Park when they were subsumed by a bunch of cyclists her age.
Chloe was 13 years old at the time, and she and her dad rode with the group, staying with them through the entirety of the ride.
It was a moment of reckoning for Chloe and one she will never forget. It was the spark that ignited a passion for the sport, which still exists to this day.
As a teenager, she went back week after week, riding with the bunch.
That was almost 20 years ago. It effectively marked the beginning of her career.
And what a career it has been, becoming one of Australia’s greatest female cyclists with over 40 wins as a pro and the gold medal in the women’s road race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Chloe has now returned home in what she describes as a hiatus from Europe. A break, not of her own choosing. It occurred because her new professional team collapsed in December.
With every other team roster finalised, the timing could not have been worse and she has been left without a pro ride in Europe in 2023.
She returned to live in Canberra in December last year to focus on her studies. She’s almost completed a law degree at the ANU.
“I’d love to go into sports law and help women who are confronted with challenging decisions. I’d like to help athletes recognise their worth,” says Chloe.
The dream of returning to race in a professional team hasn’t been completely extinguished, but it’s fair to say her 13-year pro career hangs in the balance.
“I’m going to America to race in June and July, and I will wait and see if there are opportunities in Europe, but I’m enjoying life back in Canberra.”
That enjoyment has a lot to do with helping with family matters, especially doing the school pick-up for her sister’s two children.
On her return to Canberra, it became apparent to Chloe that the junior bunch rides that launched her passion for the sport no longer exist.
“I noticed there weren’t a lot of opportunities in Canberra for junior male and female riders like when I was coming into the sport. The bunch rides back then took place up to three times a week and became a ritual.”
The Junior Bunch on their way. Photo: Supplied.
In response, the champion cyclist decided to take matters into her own hands and create her own junior bunch ride in collaboration with the Canberra Cycling Club.
As Chloe explains, “I’m keen to breathe life back into junior men’s and women’s cycling in Canberra.”
Drawing on the memory of the support she received as a junior cyclist in Canberra from the likes of Brian and Maryanne Simpson, Chloe is inspired to give back.
“I feel incredibly indebted to the Canberra community for the role they played in developing me as a cyclist. I am keen to help others.”
Chloe Hosking and her Junior Bunch on their first ride. Photo: Supplied.
And so the Hosking Junior Bunch ride has been born with plans to start every second Monday at 6:30 am, although judging by the enthusiasm displayed after the first ride, there’s little doubt it will evolve into a weekly event.
With Chloe at the helm, it can’t help but grow.
To learn more about the Hosking Junior Bunch, visit the Canberra Cycling Club.
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