INSIGHT Magazine Noble Street Festival Guide 2018 | Page 22

Meet LAUREN HALL
United Healthcare
Lauren Hall returns to the Alabama Cycling
Classic to defend her title at the Sunny
King Criterium. Hall won gold last year
with the support of her teammates on the
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s
Team.
“It’s really important to me, as the team
captain, to kind of have a nurturing
environment and a really team-oriented
culture on our team just because, one person
stands on the podium but you know it took
the whole team to get there,” Hall says.
The Mississippi native has been racing
professionally since 2010, “I do remember
going to this race as an amateur and doing
the amateur racing in the morning and
staying in the afternoon to watch the pros.”
Now, Hall has the opportunity to race her
way back to the Sunny King podium.
In describing how this race stands out to her,
Hall says, “One, to go back to this race as
a professional and two, being in the South.
My mom and dad came last year and I was
kind of overwhelmed that they came, and
I’m really glad that they did. As soon as I
won mom was over-the-moon excited, and
2018 Noble Street Festival Guide
she just wanted to come hug the whole
UnitedHealthcare team.”
“To showcase what the South has to offer
in terms of cycling and the community,
the festival, and the Southern hospitality
that’s something I’m really proud of,” Hall
continues. “When my teammates, that
are from all over the world, can come to
Alabama, and the hosts that we stay with are
so great and the town is so nice and the food
is great you know I’m really proud of that.
That’s what stands out about Sunny King to
me. I love that race.”
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s
Team will also compete in the Piedmont
Road Race. “The climb in that race is so hard.
I don’t know if it’s in there again. I’m sure it
is because tha