For junior Jacob Schneller, returning to the Life Time Sea Otter Classic is about more than a race. The 20-year-old cyclist from Overland Park is competing in Monterey, California, hoping to earn a place in the under-23 Life Time Grand Prix Program.
The Sea Otter Classic is a festival for cycling and outdoor lovers. With events ranging from road bike races to off-road mountain and gravel bike races, the festival is open to recreational, amateur and professional cyclists.
The Life Time Grand Prix Program is a race composed of the best off-road cyclists in the world and is the predecessor to the main Grand Prix.
The winner of the U23 series automatically gets into the program for the upcoming year. All athletes must apply to get in.
“It’s always fun to be able to go up against the best people in the world,” Schneller said. “Sea Otter is the first really big race of the year, so everyone’s there.”
Hosted on the third weekend of April, the Sea Otter Classic contains a wide variety of races. Schneller will compete in the pro gravel race on Thursday, April 16.
“They have races Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Schneller said. “So it’s a massive event, a lot of fun atmosphere there, so it’s just such a great experience to go do.”
Schneller, a finance major, has found his passion for cycling thanks to his father.
“My dad wanted to bike across Kansas with me,” Schneller said. “I realized I kinda liked it. I played around…just cycling every now and then, just for fun.”
Two years ago, Schneller decided to focus on nutrition and serious training to improve his skills.
The road to the Sea Otter Classic has been a long one. After taking a break during his off season in December, Schneller came back in January, cycling about a thousand miles and over 50 hours, to train before the peak season.
As for his training up to the race in April, he plans to keep building up his mileage.
“My training up to the race is just gonna be anywhere from 15 to 25 hours a week,” Schneller said. “I’ll have a couple races in between then and now.”
In addition to his high-intensity training, Schneller has focused on improving his gear and investing in equipment that will suit his needs for both short and long-term goals.
When it comes to his gravel bike, which he’ll use to race the Sea Otter Classic, the Trek Checkpoint SLR 6 will do the job.
Made of a carbon fiber frame of the highest level for gravel bikes, SRAM Rival AXS electronic shifting and narrow handlebars, this bike will save him weight and shift his gears efficiently while he tackles the off-road courses. He will also run the same shoes for both road and gravel pedals, due to a personal preference in power output.
Schneller does not have any sponsors at the moment, but he plans on working that out in the near future.