Cole Paton
Cole Paton grew up working at his family’s sporting goods store in Cashmere, Washington, where he discovered his love of mountain biking. A four-time National MTB Champion at Fort Lewis College in Colorado, Cole won both the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival in Wisconsin and Iceman Cometh Challenge in 2021. His 2022 season brought victory at the prestigious Mid South gravel race in Oklahoma as well as a stellar second-place finish at Utah’s Crusher in the Tushar, which boosted him to 4th overall in the inaugural Life Time Grand Prix series. Cole had an even stronger 2023 season with podium placings at the Sea Otter Classic, Leadville Trail 100, and Chequamegon, improving to third overall in the Grand Prix. He also added to his stars-and-stripes jersey collection by winning the 2023 U.S. MTB Marathon National Championship.
| Team | Gravel |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Cashmere, Washington |
| Where you live now | Girona, Spain; Durango, Colorado; Cashmere, Washington; Inverness, California |
| Other team/group affiliations | The Feed’s High Performance Team, Assos, Kenda, Shimano, Arlberg Sports, Orange Seal Academy |
| Main cycling disciplines | Endurance racing, gravel and mountain bike |
| Top results |
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| Ideal training ride | With my girlfriend and a solid group of good buddies. Somewhere deep in the mountains where you don’t see any other humans. Smash together up the climbs and ride on the edge down the descents. Stop for snack breaks along the way and maybe even jump in a lake or river, too. |
| How do you push through suffer sessions | Refocus the mind and find the flow state. |
| Ideal race | The more technical the better. |
| Favorite place to ride | Girona, Spain |
| What you bring on every ride | Food and water |
| Tips for aspiring racers | The process takes patience. Cycling should be fun. Chase the extraordinary moments and don’t forget to enjoy the ordinary ones. |
| Life motto | If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space. |
