Athlete of the Year: Ansel Dickey

Ansel Dickey, 21, came to Vermont to ski but stayed to bike, inspired by KMS cycling coach Peter Vollers.

During his senior year, Dickey made the U.S. National Junior Team as a road cyclist. He now races for the Astellas Professional Cycling Team around the country, but comes back to his second home in Woodstock often.

This past year he won the U23 New England Championships for the second year in a row and, in July, he was 10th in his age group in the U.S. Cycling Amateur Nationals.

In 2016, Dickey also led the pack at two of the toughest gravel grinder races in the country—both in Vermont. In April, he won Rasputitsa, the often-snowy gravel grinder in the Northeast Kingdom. Then, in August, Dickey led the pack at Woodstock’s grueling Overland Grand Prix.

Dickey admits that though 2016 was a tough year he found his stride in gravel racing. “I totally fell in love with gravel racing and riding the amazing backroads in Vermont,” he says.