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Son of Legendary Olympic Cyclist Commits To Riding for Lees-McRae Bobcats, Tyler Nothstein Starts Fall 2013

April 26, 2013. Lees-McRae is proud to announce that Tyler Nothstein, son of legendary Olympic cyclist, Marty Nothstein, has committed to riding for the Bobcat Cycling Team beginning the fall of 2013.

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Tyler Nothstein (left), Doug Owen (director of cycling for Lees-McRae), and Marty Nothstein.

At the young age of 18, Tyler, a native of Pennsylvania, is already becoming known on the cycling circuit. Among his accolades, he had four top five finishes during the 2012 USA Cycling Juniors Track Nationals, and two first place finishes at the 2012 Atlantic Regional Junior Track Championship.

“We’re thrilled to have Tyler joining our team,” said Doug Owen, director of cycling for Lees-McRae College. “He’s a phenomenal young rider and we look forward to working with him and seeing him compete. It’s also been incredibly inspiring for our riders to meet Marty Nothstein and hear his perspective on cycling.”

Being a high-level racer and son of an Olympian aren’t the only things distinguishing Tyler from his fellow riders. Tyler is one of several in the incoming fall 2013 class who will be signing a commitment letter for cycling. This is the first year commitment letters have been in place for USA Cycling. In the past, riders could change their mind and transfer to another program until the last day of the academic drop/ add. The purpose of the letter is to create a sense of commitment when a rider chooses a varsity cycling program.

With Marty Nothstein as his father, it’s no surprise Tyler is following a path of cycling glory. After making his first appearance on the cycling scene in 1989, Marty, better known by his nickname The Blade, won a Silver medal in the sprint at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. As if that wasn’t enough, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, he became the first American cyclist in 16 years to win an Olympic gold medal, when he took the victory in the sprint. Also in his collection are three world championships in track events. After a seventeen year cycling career, Marty retired from competitive cycling in 2006.

In addition to his support of Tyler, Marty will also actively support the Bobcat Cycling Team. In the fall of 2013, he has agreed to lead a training camp for cyclists racing track at Lees-McRae. He will also travel with the team as a visiting coach to the USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals in Boulder, Co.

Lees-McRae is home to the 10-time national team champion Bobcat cycling team. With a 12-year history and more than 50 individual national titles, this team boasts riders who race professionally as well as collegiately and former riders such as Brent Bookwalter ’06, who rode for BMC Racing in the Tour de France, and Andrew Talansky, who placed second in Paris-Nice this year for Garmin-Sharp.

For more information about cycling at Lees-McRae College, please contact Doug Owen, director of cycling, at owend@lmc.edu or 828.387.6618.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. With 850 students hailing from 40 states and more than 10 countries, Lees-McRae’s broad core curriculum is enhanced by field-specific career preparation and experiential learning with an emphasis in leadership and service. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828-898-5241.