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A week ago Saturday, Lawson Craddock (EF Pro Cycling) was racing what was to be the last stage of an abbreviated Paris-Nice. Today, he is at home in Austin after a whirlwind trip from France to his European home in Girona, Spain, and back to Texas.
Following recommendations on self-quarantining after traveling through Europe, Craddock, his wife, and 1.5-year-old daughter are doing two weeks of self-isolation at home, as an extra precaution to prevent any spread of the coronavirus.
“Coming home wasn’t even on our radar as of Friday at Paris-Nice. I was racing,” Craddock said. “We were kinda checking on the news, and we talked about stocking up a bit at home in Girona, and be prepared in case anything goes crazy.”
Then, once at home in Girona, the Craddocks decided that Saturday night to fly out as soon as possible, which was the following Monday.
“We went from racing to packing up our entire lives to getting on the first flight out,” Craddock said. “Our daughter is 17 months, almost. She obviously doesn’t understand what quarantining means. My wife’s parents are about 20 minutes away. The most we have seen them is through a window, which is crazy. My parents are in Houston.”
Location: Austin, Texas
What are the current regulations for where you live about going outside?
Well, we are self-quarantining because of our travels, but Austin as a city is starting to slow down, which is sad to see. No more than 10 people are allowed together at a time. Schools are canceled. Everyone who can is working from home. The best thing we can do is our own part and try and help contain it. As cyclists, it’s great to ride our bikes, but you never know what could happen. You could crash, and if you crash it could put a load on an overstressed system. At the end of the day we have to work together to kick this to the curb, ASAP.
What races were you planning to do that have been canceled or postponed?
I was supposed to head to Milano-Sanremo then País Vasco and then the Ardennes.
What is your motivation for training right now?
It’s strange; you come from months of preparing and full-gas traveling and racing to absolutely nothing. How do I do training now? It’s a strange feeling.
What are you doing today? Are you training?
No. I haven’t ridden since Paris-Nice. I talked to my coach and tried to figure out how to tackle this. We decided to take a bit of a mental reset. I am coming off of five months of basically only training and not much racing. It’s the same for the entire peloton. Everyone was ready to race—is ready to race.
What are you going to work on?
Well the fitness is there, so we are going to work on the mental side of things, nutrition, core work. No one knows how to prepare right now.
What indoor gear are you using?
I have a Tacx Neo and that makes things very easy. I am well-versed in the world of Zwift. It really isn’t a bad alternative to training. I really enjoy it. I can ride with my dad who is a couple hours away. The races on Zwift are incredible. I used those for training all the time during the season.
How are you communicating with friends and family?
We have been in touch with more people now than we really have in a long time. You’re all kinda sitting around the house. It’s good to catch up. Tech these days make it easier.
Have you received any helpful advice?
Not really. Everyone is trying to figure this out together. Fortunately, I really enjoy my wife and my daughter’s company. It’s not the worst thing to be able to sit together. Here in Austin, the weather is nice, so we hang out on the back patio and spray the little one with the hose. That’s our entertainment.
When do you think you’ll race again?
I couldn’t tell you.