A Tribute to Hyde.

Stephen Hyde announces his retirement from the professional cyclocross start line.

Words from Raylyn Nuss

It was around April of 2020 when we started the conversation with Stephen Hyde about the potential of Steve Tilford Foundation Racing and riding for the team. His time with Cannondale Cyclocross World had come to an end, and was looking to start a new chapter.

The stars aligned, and we were able to bring Hyde on to not only race for the team, but to be a true advocate for the Steve Tilford Foundation.

“Stephen personifies what the Foundation is all about. His passion for the bike, for racing, for knowledge and for life is contagious. Watching him engage with our young riders on and off the bike has been amazing and has helped us realize our mission as an organization.” - STF Co Founder & President, Matt Gilhousen.

We could not have had a better person to help us launch this team. Stephen has had one hell of a career - a 3x U.S. Cyclocross National Champion and 2x Pan American Champion. He is a legend of the sport of cyclocross and has really played a key role in keeping the sport vibrant here in the United States. We are so fortunate to have played a small role during his final chapter.

Stephen brought more to the table than just being a stellar athlete with huge accolades. He exuded so much passion and genuine love for the sport that is hard to come by. Stephen is one of a kind, and we are unbelievably proud of him.

As a teammate, Stephen left a huge mark on me. He’s made me a better person, and a better athlete. I truly owe a lot of my success this season to him and my coach, Chris McGovern (who is also on team staff as our lead mechanic), as these two guys have genuinely cared about my progression in the sport.

I spent a few weeks with living with Stephen before the season kicked off, and he helped me dial in the final pieces of the cyclocross athlete puzzle in honing in those cx specific skills. He has a gift of being able to articulate exactly what it is he’s trying to get across - and when describing cyclocross skills it’s not always easy. But Stephen has a way of translating body and bike movements to words.

Stephen is a selfless individual who would make sure to check in with me immediately after my race even though he had his own race to head off to. I’d hear him yelling positive notes and tips at me while I was racing. We would pre-ride together most of the time, and we had a really cool morning routine at the Airbnbs throughout the season where we would talk course strategy and walk through it with one another. I also saw him interacting with other athletes while at the venue, and he would pour as much knowledge out to them as they would receive. He just ALWAYS wanted to help anyone and everyone out. - The character of a true champion.

A true teammate. A true friend. I have so much love for Stephen. Thank you for everything you have done for me, for the team, for the Foundation and most importantly, for the sport of cyclocross.

We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Hyde. All I know is that I am unbelievably excited that he will be on the official Team USA staff list as a coach for this 2022 World Championships in Fayetteville!!

You can read the full article of Stephen’s retirement here: USA Cycling