Ally Stacher

Positive Ape Index. That’s what Ally Stacher has. It may sound derogatory, but it’s actually an asset. In rock climbing, a positive Ape Index means long arms and legs relative to body size. It’s a huge advantage to the sport. And in cycling, could it also be an advantage? It seems all the better to tear your legs off with. Ally’s strength as a rider can be seen in her willingness to dig deep in the hardest races. And, incidentally, climbing is her other sport (she leads up to 5.10d sport climbing and spends her off-season at sweet climbing spots in The South).

Ally got into cycling after watching the Tour de France for a senior project in high school. She decided to experiment with endurance sports by riding and setting up personal goals. Then she had to do a presentation on the sport. That was as far as it went for another full year as she opted for women’s wrestling instead during her first year of college.

But Ally loves riding, loves bikes and loves training. The racing, nutrition and numbers all appealed to her. Pretty soon, she was on the bike and committed. She won her first race (the Baker City Classic) during her first year of racing when she was riding unattached. Now, as part of the Specialized-lululemon team, Ally can continue to learn from some of the seasoned veterans on the team while honing a skill she knows well: working hard for the team. Others on the team say about her: “She’s a wild pony on the bike, she’ll just bury herself for her teammates.” They also say she “one of the most enjoyable people ever; she keeps the team spirit up. For the 2012 season, one of her major goals is to help her teammates get to the 2012 Olympics.

Competitive by nature, Ally admits that even during yoga, “I can’t help myself. I always have to do the most advanced modification for every pose.”

If she’d never found the sport of cycling, she can see herself farming, finding odd jobs, and living off the land.

Her mantra: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard enough.