The Next Big Thing: Kamren Larsen

Could he be the next Connor?

Standing at 5’ 6” and barely tipping the scale at 140 (“on a good day,” ) Bakersfield’s Rookie Pro Kamren Larsen might not have the typical physique of an Olympian - but neither did 2008 bronze medalist Donny Robinson. What Kam does have, similar to DR#10, is mad skills and a ton of desire to be a Champion.

PULL: You started racing at age five. Were you quick from the start?

KAMREN: “No. I’ve struggled quite a bit throughout my amateur ranks. I got moto’d a handful of times from 7x all the way until I was 10. Then I started to take it more serious.

Did you struggle due to your size?

KAMREN: “Yeah, when I was younger, I was really, really small. Racing bigger guys like Kevin Pauls and Bubba Gonzales was super challenging for me, because they were so much bigger and would push me around. But I would say that is what has made me into the rider I am today.”

Sounds a lot like Donny Robinson.

KAMREN: “Exactly. Donny was actually my favorite rider. I saw him at a national in Gutherie, like in 2005, saw how small he was and thought - ‘Maybe I can do it.’ I looked up to Donny a lot when I was growing up.”

You wind up using your size to your advantage, right?

KAMREN: “Yeah. For being small, you have to find the holes where you can fit in. You can’t necessarily rely on your big elbows or size.”

Now that you’re on the USA Cycling Jr.Devo program, how much have you stepped up your game?