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Monumental year takes US rising star Ashlin Barry from 'I could barely walk' to 'memory that will last a lifetime'

Ashlin Barry’s 2024 has been nothing short of monumental, transforming from a setback-laden start to a year that could define his career. The 19-year-old American cyclist capped a standout season by claiming the under-23 road world championship in Montreal, winning a solo sprint atop Mont Royal—a triumph that followed a rapid-fire schedule of Team USA training camps and the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai.

With his sights now fixed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Barry is balancing elite track ambitions, including a push for Team USA’s team pursuit and a potential spot in the Omnium, while also eyeing road race qualification. His path to this point has been grueling: a January crash in Spain left him unable to ride for weeks, sidelining him from the Pan Am Championships and delaying his track-season plans.

Yet by March, he had rebounded with podiums in the Olympia’s Tour and a dominant U23 road race win in the U.S. Pro series, earning a call-up to Visma-Lease a Bike’s WorldTour squad for Antwerp Port Epic, where he finished 15th.

Now under a 2029 development contract with the team, Barry’s rapid rise—from junior silver medals in the 2023 Omnium to elite podiums in 2025’s Paris-Roubaix and E3 Saxo Classic—underscores a trajectory that could see him leap to the WorldTour sooner than expected.

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