Cynisca Cycling

Allison Mrugal

Allison Mrugal

USA &nbsp&nbsp

HOMETOWN: West chester, Pennsylvania

DOB: 21 July 1996

Alli began racing mountain bikes and in 2021 made the switch from mountain biking to road racing. She loved the long hours in the saddle and tactical nature of the road. It was secretly a dream of hers to race in the Women’s World Tour one day. She raced domestically in the US before following her heart to the international scene. In 2023, she acquired valuable experience with the Spanish continental team Sopela Women’s Team, racing across Europe and in the Women’s World Tour.

Alli is a graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, with a BS in Design and Sustainability. She then received a varsity cycling scholarship to complete her masters at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia. There she received a MA in Luxury & Fashion Business (and also met her fellow Cynisca teammate Gabrielle Lehnert). 

Follow her on Instagram: allisonmrugal

SCROLL down for  Q&A …

Q&A with Alli:

What is your favorite race memory?

I don’t know if it’s a favorite but it’s one I’ll never forget. It was stage 2 of the 2023 Vuelta España Femenina, and it really showed me what I was made of. I crashed at the start, rode the stage on a teammate’s bike, felt like an absolute beginner in my first World Tour race, was caught up in another crash, and eventually was off the back not halfway through the first real road stage. Seeing the helicopter fly over the mountains and out of sight ahead of me (following the race), I knew I had to fight to make the time limit and start the next day. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to be there! I was really thankful to make it to the start the next day and eventually finish the grand tour.  

What do you consider your strengths in cycling?

My biggest strength in cycling is my attitude. On the bike, I am a strong all-rounder. I am super grateful to have a support system that helps me develop these strengths everyday.

What do you consider your strengths in cycling?

My curiosity and overall mindset.

Is there a profession other than bike racing you want to pursue someday?

Artist and athlete—I see them as one and the same.

Interesting jobs you’ve had?

I was a counselor at a nature camp once 🙂

Do you volunteer?

This question inspires me to want to volunteer more but the reality is that the cause I support the most right now is just women’s cycling. I would love to improve pay equity offering all women’s continental riders a livable wage as well as improve media coverage of women’s cycling. I think the history and connection of the sport to women’s suffrage adds to my interest in this too.

What attracted you to bike racing?

My parents have been avid cyclists all of my life. They never put any pressure on my sister and I to ride and I think it’s funny that we actually actively rejected it growing up. We did almost every other sport except cycling, thinking “who wants to look like an alien, wearing lycra and a big helmet anyway!” But cycling is obviously more than the looks and also more than the riding—it is also a great community, a sense of adventure, the pursuit of mastery, etc. My parents exposed me to all that without knowing. So when I was coming back from injury from other sports in my senior year of high school, I gave it a shot, loved the feeling of freedom it gave me, and just never stopped.

Where is your favorite place to ride?

Andorra

What do you sacrifice to be your best in the sport?

Everything and nothing.

What music do you listen to on your trainer?

It depends on the workout for sure but in general really upbeat, feel-good pop. In the fall it was Taylor Swift. Now I might revisit Ed Sheeran.

What’s your super power?

I tend to smile a lot, I think that might be a super power 🙂

What would you like to look back and tell your grandkids you did?

I prayed and followed my heart.

“Teamwork makes the dreamwork!”

Follow us as we help talented women climb to the top of the podium!