On the rise: A young Roseville native rides toward the front of the Tour de France
Neilson Powless started racing competitively around the age most kids begin learning to read and write.
When he was 6 or 7 years old, his father said, the Roseville native participated in a foot race. Like many youngsters his age, Neilson struggled to stay on task because he couldn’t forget about having fun.
“He’d stop and pick up and a stick during a race,” Jack Powless said, “and continue running with the stick while he was pretending he was having a sword fight.
“And he’d still win his event.”
Having fun in victory would be a theme for Neilson throughout his young life before becoming a professional athlete at the highest level. His competitive drive led to currently representing his team, EF Education-Nippo, in the most prestigious bike race in the world, the Tour de France for the second time. Neilson’s teammate and leader, Rigoberto Urán, is vying for another top-10 finish with Powless’ help.
Through 16 stages Tuesday, Urán was in second place overall; Powless was in 45th out of 145 riders still on the tour.
It’s Powless job as a lieutenant of Urán to post strong times in mountain stages and time trials to wear out other riders and help Urán win the race for his team. Those around Powless believe he’s on track to become the top racer on a team with a shot at competing for the coveted yellow jersey. For now, he’s paying his dues by putting his efforts into helping his team and Urán.
“It takes a long time to develop into that type of rider, years and years potentially,” said Bruce Hendler, one of Powless’ trainers who works with him at AthletiCamp in Folsom. “But there’s just no question in my mind that given his history, and his ability to win and know how to win, that it’s within his grasp.”
Hard work and joy
Those around Powless say his ability to enjoy what he does while putting his body through one of the most challenging tests in sports is what makes him unique. Last year Neilson, who is Oneida by way of his father, became the first Native American to compete in the tour.
“(We’re) Just so proud of all the work that we know that he’s put into it. And the commitment that he’s made to his sport,” Jack Powless said. “He does it in such a gracious way. If you were to meet Neilson on the street, on you would never know that he was a professional athlete. He is just so low key and down to earth. That’s just how he is.”
Powless is one of many endurance athletes to come out of the Folsom and Roseville areas which are rich with bicyclists and triathletes. It’s easy to see how and Powless reached the peak of his sport as he participates in his second career Tour de France at age 24. Jack, an Air Force veteran, was the military’s top finisher in the renowned Iron Man World Championships three times in his seven appearances and later became a certified fitness specialist.
Neilson’s mother, Jeanette Allred-Powless, was a marathon runner who competed for Guam in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the World Athletic Championships. She won three gold medals and a silver at the South Pacific Games. She spent time at American River College and Sacramento State. Neilson’s sister, Shayna, who is two years older, is also a professional rider. She became the under-23 U.S. national mountain bike champion in 2013.
It was apparent when the Powless kids were teens they had a chance to carve out professional athletic careers. The family developed strong ties with Erin Gorrell, the owner of Folsom Bike, who sponsored Powless before he became Tour de France rider.
Folsom ties
Gorrell and Powless remain close even though Powless has moved on to bigger and more prominent sponsorships, with Powless occasionally speaking at events hosted at the bike shop to talk about his journey while he trains locally. There are pictures of Powless on the walls of the bike shop, including one over Gorrell’s desk in her office that shows Powless celebrating a win at a local race.
“It’s one of those rare things where we get hit up for sponsorship all the time,” Gorrell said. “But it takes a very, very unique individual to really have that true grit of sticking with something and they have a great athletes within their parents.
“(Neilson and Shayna) learned to suffer at a very young age — and continue to stick with whatever sport that they were doing. And quite frankly, I admired that.”
Powless has Gorrell to thank for helping get into professional street riding. One hot summer day while Powless was teenager, he found himself at a crossroads. He loved mountain biking and was one of the best in the region. But it’s hardly a lucrative field and he had a better chance at carving out a financially viable career as a street racer.
“I remember his parents asking to meet with me and I’ll never forget us all sitting on the floor in my office,” Gorrell said. “We had the lights out and we were just all sitting out there. They wanted to know what my opinion was, what direction he should go. I think they were kind of polling everybody.”
Move to street racing
The Powless parents, experienced at the highest level of endurance competition, discussed the decision with coaches and confidants throughout the area before Powless ultimately decided on street racing full time. It’s paid off as Neilson is considered one of the most promising young Americans in the sport.
It led to increased training with Hendler, who quantifies progress of his athletes through lactate testing, and helps fit Powless for the right bike to maximize performance.
“Watching him for years has been an absolute pleasure in terms of him being a local guy,” Hendler said. “And just the fact that, when you look at the complete lineup of the Tour De France, the fact that a kid who grew up in Roseville is just so exciting for me and for everybody. It’s unbelievable to watch him.”
Hendler chooses to watch Powless compete in the Tour de France after he’s home from work training other athletes by utilizing on-demand streaming services to look for Powless’ jersey in the crowd of racers. Powless’ parents, Jack and Jen, flew out to Europe late last week to meet up with Neilson and spend time with him on a recent rest day. At home, they would wake up at 2 and 3 a.m. to watch the event live because of the nine-hour time difference.
“We’re cheering him on the whole way, and he knows it,” Jack Powless said. “We always communicate with him as soon as his race is over and let him know how proud we are. He always knows how proud we are of him. Whether he’s first or last, we always know Neilson and Shayna give their best. And that’s all we can ask for.”
This story was originally published July 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
