Cory Williams shares his journey from LA's gang-dominated neighborhoods to becoming a professional cyclist and founder of Legion Cycling, a team dedicated to increasing diversity in the sport. He opens up about the racism he's encountered in cycling, the brutal realities of racing on a shoestring budget, and how he and his brother Justin are building something different by treating sponsorships like actual business partnerships rather than one-way extractions.
Key Takeaways
- Diversity in cycling requires visible role models — kids can't become what they can't see, which is why Legion Cycling deliberately showcases Black riders at the highest level
- Professional cycling at the continental level is brutally underfunded; riders on buses for 7+ hours with no proper accommodation, and teams won't even provide time trial bikes without negotiation
- Social media monetization is now how cyclists actually survive — Instagram sponsorships and content creation often pay more than salary from mid-tier teams
- Growing up in unsafe neighborhoods pushed Cory and Justin into sports as protection, but also instilled a resilience that became their competitive advantage
- Casual racism and ignorance persist in cycling despite progress elsewhere; it's not always malicious hate, but indifference and lack of exposure to diverse communities
- Power output doesn't equal speed in racing — a 65kg sprinter doing 1600 watts beats a 90kg rider doing 1900 watts because weight-to-power ratio and tactical timing matter more than raw numbers
Expert Quotes
"My dad already put this thing in me where like this is a tough sport you're going to have tough moments but you got to keep going right."
"We can disagree about sport we can disagree about politics we can disagree about religion but if we disagree about racism we're not friends anymore."
"I'm skinny as fuck so when people see my power they're not impressed and I'm like yeah but I'm 65 kgs and you're like 90."