By Dave Campbell — The Horner Cycling Foundation’s Executive Director Molly Cogswell-Kelley is a veritable fixture on the Bend, Oregon cycling scene. An avid cyclist herself, she bursts with irrepressible energy, enthusiasm, creative ideas, and positive vibes. The playlists she crafts for local events are a point of personal pride and the stuff of legend among racers. Quite simply, if you ride or race bikes in Central Oregon, you almost certainly know Molly! At the end of 2022, she had finished eighteen years working for the Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, including deep involvement with the Cascade Cycling Classic Stage Race and directing the Pole, Pedal, Paddle race and was looking for new opportunities.
Her friend Megan Horner (A former Under 23 National Road Champion and member of the Saturn Professional cycling team) called and asked her to come by her house because she had a proposition. Megan shared that her husband Chris’s goal in his later life after retiring from professional cycling was to be watching a big international stage race and be able to say, “I coached that kid.” “She asked me if I would help start a non-profit junior road cycling program where everything is free for the kids,” said Molly.
When Megan was a junior, she lived in Germany and was a member of the Dresden Sport Club where the majority of the expenses of the sport were either covered or offered at a significant discount to junior riders. Together they wanted to develop a similar model so there were no barriers to the sport of cycling. Molly notes “because even if you have a lot of money, it’s incredibly expensive to be a cyclist because it’s so gear intensive”. That is how the Horner Cycling Foundation came to be.
According to Cogswell, they started the non-profit in 2023 and decided to put on local weekly criterium races throughout the summer to introduce the program to the community. By all accounts, the series was a success and Molly stated, “By having free kiddie crits with ice cream at the end of the races, we gained some fans!”
She continues “In the fall of 2023, we introduced the idea of having free family rides with Chris on Sunday mornings. Six kids showed up for those each week and they have been part of our core team ever since.” Last year, the Foundation decided to put on the Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium since Molly had been very involved in the production of the event from 2006-2017. The Bend Summer Criterium Series could now serve as a tool to get the young racers ready for the CCCC. Thousands of spectators turned out at Bend’s iconic downtown venue that once hosted one of the biggest stage races in the nation. “Having the kids race on the big stage (the event also doubled at the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s State Championship event) solidified their love for the sport” noted Molly.
She adds “Last winter, I made a big marketing push to schools that have more diversity and less financial resources, and it paid off. We now have a team of 26 kids who train with us once a week starting in April through the end of August. The cycling community here in Central Oregon has been very generous to donate equipment. Every junior has a bike from our Loaner Bike Library, a Castelli kit, Specialized team water bottles, and racing and training opportunities. The kids are loving the program. All of the coaches are volunteers and many of them have elite level racing experience.”
This year’s Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium was scheduled for June 14th beginning at noon and features a purse in excess of $22,000. The summer Criterium series runs from June 28th through July 23rd. Both feature categories for every rider from tennis shoe-clad rookie through to weekend warriors, masters, and seasoned professionals but especially emphasize a fun kids race and junior categories. All junior riders receive free entry and there is a $500 stipend available to help teams of three junior riders or more attend the CCCC.
Chris Horner, a 2012 Olympian, seven-time finisher of the Tour de France, the only American to win the Tour Pays Basque, and the first American to win the Vuelta a España is a proud coach of the junior team. He also has the added enjoyment of coaching his son Wyatt. He and Molly teamed up to answer some questions about the HCF.
Q1. Chris, can you give us a little background on yourself and what are you up to now?
My wife and I were both pro cyclists. Myself primarily as part of the European peloton from 1996 through 2016 and my wife was a USA national champion and a part of the biggest team in the US (Saturn) for many years. I’m the oldest Grand Tour winner in the galaxy (Winning the Vuelta at age 42), I’ve gone top 10 at the Tour de France, and I’m a 2012 Olympian. I am currently busy with a YouTube channel that my oldest son Garrett, helps me produce.
Q2. What is the genesis of the foundation? Why did you start this project?
Chris: The Horner Cycling Foundation was developed because Megan and I saw a need for more kids to be involved with road cycling. Our goal is to make the sport accessible, and to help grow a life-long love for cycling. We both came into the sport at a time where it was more affordable, especially with support from our local bike shops, where we both worked when we were kids. Between discounted equipment, help from older riders, and prize money, we were both able to become professional cyclists. That is a path that would be very difficult, if not impossible to follow these days. We want to provide a way for kids from all backgrounds to access the sport that might otherwise be too expensive. Additionally, our youngest, Wyatt, has always been obsessed with racing. He has held his own “races” in our front yard from the time he was on a strider. The program ensures there are races for him to do, as well as increasing the number of kids he has to ride with each week.
Q3. Bend, Oregon is known as a cycling hotbed. What does Bend bring to your family, to you as a cyclist, and to the foundation?
Chris: What we love about Bend is the ability to leave straight from your house and start climbing up into the Cascades; the quiet and beautiful training roads, as well as the road-users and atmosphere that all make it an excellent venue for cycling. And despite a lot of growth in recent years, it still has a small-town feel, where you commonly see friends and neighbors when you’re out running errands or going for a ride.
Q4. What is the HCF all about?
Chris: The first and foremost goal is to develop a love of road cycling for all ages, but especially for kids. After that we like to put on events that help build enthusiasm and awareness for the sport, as well as offer an opportunity for cyclists to explore the competitive side of road cycling.
Q5. What is your main role with the Foundation?
Chris: Our main role is to make the sport of cycling unintimidating and welcoming to all individuals, regardless of economic status, ethnicity, gender, or age. We want to show the positive impact the sport can have on people’s lives such as life-long connections, friendships, and drive for achievements. Specifically, I am here to help wherever needed. That might be working on bikes from our “bike library” to get them ready to hand over to a new team member – or one that has outgrown their previous bike – as well as going on rides and passing on whatever information I can while still keeping it fun. For most of the young riders, I’m just Wyatt’s dad.
Q6. Chris, tell us about your Executive Director Molly Cogswell. What is her role and what does she bring to the Foundation?
Chris: She is our one paid employee. In addition to running the Foundation, she is the CCCC race director and promoter. She brings an unmatched enthusiasm and warmth that makes everyone feel welcome. You’ll never meet someone kinder and more loveable. She makes all of the goals of the HCF possible through her hard work, dedication, and ability to connect with other people like no one else can. In short, she is invaluable to the Foundation, and clearly is the one in charge of all we do.
Q7. Can I ask you both what your goals are for HCF?
Chris: Our main goal is to expand the sport of road cycling and develop a sustainable program that continues to support young riders for many years in the future.
Molly: I would like us to have more financial support either through donations, private foundations and/or grants. Having a communal space with an office and a place to store bikes and teach kids how to work on bikes would be great. It would also be great to continue to grow, since the more funding we have, the larger the program will get and the more kids we can bring in.
Q8. What are some of the challenges the Foundation has faced and challenges you anticipate as you move forward?
Chris: There is no lack of motivation and dedication within the foundation: from all the athletes, volunteers, coaches, and supporters. The biggest challenges are finding the time to increase the exposure of our mission, and along with that, financial support is always at the top of the list. We hope to continue to provide the experience of cycling to as many riders as possible in our community through events such as the Cascade Cycling Classic and the training races, which as you can imagine cost a bit.
Molly: Finding potential grants and donors that will allow our program to not only continue but to grow.
Q9. What are some of the success stories, high points, and simply favorite moments from HCF so far?
Chris: The high point is and always will be watching the kids develop their love for the bike and the comradery they develop with each other. As for a success story, we see that weekly, if not daily, every time the kids are on their bikes and smiling. We are also proud to bring a competitive road cycling scene back to Central Oregon. Having pros race around downtown Bend again last summer was a huge lift – it gave the kids in our program a view at what is possible if they keep working hard.
Molly: A highlight for me was when a young woman in our program seemed off and not excited about riding. We figured out that her bike was uncomfortable, and she didn’t like having to take her hand off to shift. We were able to get her on a bike that worked better for her, and now she hasn’t stopped smiling! She wants to ride all the time, and her confidence has skyrocketed! Another high point is just seeing all the kids that have never been on a road bike progressing each week on their skills. Smiles on the bike is what makes this all worthwhile.
Q10. What needs does the Foundation still have and what can people do to help?
Chris: First and foremost, our volunteers are the backbone of everything we want to achieve. Whether that be the amazing coaches, the race support staff at all of our events including the Cascade Cycling Classic, the Thrilla Cyclocross series that we do in the fall, and our training crits. We really appreciate and depend on those volunteering their time to spectate, race, or just be a part of our events in some way. Donations are always especially needed to continue the growth and reach of the Horner Cycling Foundation.
Molly: We are always looking for donated road bikes. Preferably XS or S adult bikes or actual kid’s bikes with smaller wheels. We would love more cash and product sponsors for things like helmets, gloves, cycling shoes, tires and tubes, tools and repair kits, etc. Financial and production donations are hugely appreciated and will go directly to help support our young riders.
For more information or to volunteer or donate:
