National champion cyclist from Houston hopes to grow the sport through skill and showmanship

'Criterium Cowboy': Houston man making his mark in pro-cycling

FOX 26's Tom Zizka talked to national cycling champion Lucas Bourgoyne about his mission for the cycling world.

HOUSTON - Lucas Bourgoyne discovered bike racing in his early-teens, and was quickly good enough that he wanted to ride the experience as long as he could. After several years of racing in Europe, he came back to Texas to focus on criterium racing, in search of success and a domestic fanbase who could share the spectacle. Along the way, at the urging of a friend who encouraged him to stay grounded to his roots, Bourgoyne started wearing a Texas cowboy hat that quickly earned him the nickname 'Criterium Cowboy".

Meet the ‘Criterium Cowboy’

The backstory:

Winning the USA national championship in cycling has helped improve Bourgoyne's visibility, along with a winning record for his Team Cadence Cyclery. That emboldened Bourgoyne to add some showmanship to his racing. 

He is passionate about promoting a bigger world for bike-racing, bringing a big personality to events that he believes creates a connection between fans and racers. He will toss T-shirts before races, he'll high-five fans in the middle of races, and celebrate the victories when they come. 

The big personality doesn't sit well with everyone. Along the way, his team has collected some critics who complain about their racing tactics. Bourgoyne says he is unapologetically competitive. 

The next season begins next spring, and Team Cadence Cyclery hopes to pick up right where they left the last season with an impressive winning record. 

As for Bourgoyne, his goal is to win more national championships than any other racer. That leaves him with three more to go, and he hopes to find as many fans as he can to watch it happen.

‘You can’t lose yourself'

What they're saying:

"Every time I suit up, every time I go to a bike race, (I'm) racing for something a little bit bigger than myself and it's pride for what we do; who we stand for," says Lucan Bourgoyne, about wearing the Stars and Stripes Jersey as the national champion.

"You can't lose yourself, and the way you're not going to lose yourself is this right here, because at the end of the day it reminds everyone where you're from, who you are and what you do," says Bourgoyne about the cowboy hat that earned him the "Criterium Cowboy" nickname. 

"You have to be successful for people to want to watch and care about what you're doing, but to also be a part of bike-racing where the show matters. The showmanship, the cowboy hat, the things that build story-lines, that draw people in (are important)," he says about his big personality at races.