The U.S. certainly has its share of serious sports fans—those screaming nuts in the bleachers of NASCAR, World Series, and NBA events remind me that “fan” is short for “fanatic.” However, as a competitive cyclist, I don’t see a lot of fans. If spectators congregate in any numbers to watch us race, it seems partly accidental. The race is whipping through a downtown criterium course and people who were on their way to the diner decide to stop for a few moments to see what’s going on. Or there’s beer somewhere on the course, and that makes all the difference.
I would say that cycling in the U.S. is nearly devoid of superfans: those truly fanatical followers of professional sport who collect memorabilia, hunt autographs, and can spout stats like TV announcers. By contrast, cycling’s superfans are abundant in Europe. Some are even world-famous for their dedication and antics; the Tour de France’s devil character, for one. He may be the most well-known and unusually-dressed, but there are plenty of others fans. Thousands of cycling devotees arrive at key viewing spots days ahead of the races, camping by the roadside just for a few seconds’ glimpse of their heroes.
However, among women’s racing in the U.S., such extreme fandom is almost unknown.
Nevertheless, the domestic women’s peloton does have at least one superfan. No, she doesn’t camp by the roadsides of our biggest races, nor does she wear a devil suit. She does, however, travel significant distances for the sole purpose of watching us race. And her wardrobe grows each year with an expanding collection of race T-shirts. Her name is Dawn Nale, and she resides in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. I met Dawn almost two years ago, and have been helping her collect race T-shirts ever since. Curious as to what makes a superfan tick, I asked Dawn to share her story with me.
She’s in her early forties and is married, with two sons, aged eight and eleven. She works as an intake interviewer for the unemployment office, but she’s just been accepted for a new job with the state. Although happy about the work, her biggest fear is that the training for the new position will take her away from home just when the National Racing Calendar pulls into her hometown.
In fact, it’s the NRC’s traditional stop in Western Pennsylvania (near Altoona) which first got Dawn into the sport of cycling. The International Tour de ‘Toona is a weeklong stage race which takes place in late July. Although there are not too many fans there, the race committee has done an excellent job of involving locals in the race. Dawn is the perfect example. She started out as a spectator, and after watching the race for several years, decided to become a course marshal. These helpful people sit at intersections along the race course wearing brightly-colored shirts and providing three essential functions: 1) preventing drivers from entering the course from side roads while the race is passing through; 2) directing the riders and caravan at any turns; and 3) cheering.
In 2004, after working the race as a marshal, Dawn and her youngest son, Brennan, spotted the winner of the women’s stage recuperating after the race. Dawn nudged Brennan to go and congratulate her. Encouraged by the warm reception the racer gave them, they sought out the second place finisher as well. This racer gave both Brennan and his brother Nick team hats, which they then got all three of the top-placed girls to sign. The next day, Dawn took pictures, which she later had blown up into 8 x 10 prints. A superfan was born!
Since then, Dawn has become more involved with the Tour de ‘Toona each year. For the past couple years, she’s been on the steering committee of the race, which allows her insight into the planning of the event. Last year, she even got her mother involved, convincing her to host a women’s team even though her mom “has no concept” of cycling. (Women’s cycling teams frequently stay with local hosts to help defray the cost of traveling to competitions.) Another friend of Dawn’s has become a “convert” too: He’s planning to take a week off work this year to take photos of the race from the back of a motorcycle. Dawn’s enthusiasm for the sport seems to be catching, but she notes that it’s been a long process to get the communities of western Pennsylvania behind the bike race: “After trying to promote [women’s cycling], finally people are responding.”
