Rider Profile
Kristen Faulkner
EF Education-Cannondale
Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2024 - EF Education-Cannondale
- 2023 - Team Jayco AlUla Women
- 2022 - Team BikeExchange-Jayco Women
- 2021 - TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank
- 2020 - Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
Biography:
Kristen Faulkner is known for being aggressive in a bike race, be it a time trial or a road race. The Alaska native, born December 18, 1992, attributes high risk-high reward tendencies in cycling to her first career as a venture capitalist. She moved into cycling in late 2020 with Team TIBCO-SVB in the US and invested all efforts into being a full-time pro cyclist from 2021 with the Continental team.
The first year with TIBCO, Faulkner won a stage at Tour Feminin l'Ardeche and scored top 20s in Brabantse Pijl and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes. The next season she won a stage at the Ladies Tour of Norway en route to third overall, plus added a podium at the GP de Plouay, and top 10s at Gent-Wevelgem and US Pro Nationals road race.
BikeExchange-Jayco recognised her as a talented rider who could be a team leader for the women’s WorldTour squad and signed her for two seasons. She soared to new heights, earning third on GC at the early-season Itzulia Women stage race and then taking second overall at the Tour de Suisse Women, with a stage win in the ITT. In top form, she won two stages at the Giro d’Italia Donne - the prologue and hilly stage 9 to San Lorenzo Dorsino - and finished with the mountains classification.
Lots of ups and downs disrupted 2023 for the US rider, beginning with a disqualification from Strade Bianche for wearing a glucose monitor. She had rolled across the line in third, but the UCI deemed the monitor, even though the sensor was not engaged, was a rules violation. Then she suffered injuries when a driver of a car hit her while on a training ride, a hairline fracture of her leg healing quickly but a blood clot in her lung keeping her away from riding a bike outside for three full months.
Faulkner missed the Tour de France Femmes and the Giro, but returned for the Tour de Romandie and Pan American Games, where she won the gold medal in the time trial.
Key Results
2023
🥇 Pan American Games ITT
2022
🥇 Two stages and mountains classification at Giro d'Italia Donne
🥇 One stage at Tour de Suisse Women
🥈 One stage, points classification and GC at Tour de Suisse Women
🥉 One stage at Itzulia Women
🥉 Navarra Women’s Elite Classics
2021
🥇 One stage at Tour of Norway
🥉 GP de Plouay
🥉 GC at Tour of Norway
2020
🥇 One stage at Tour Feminin l'Ardeche
🥉 Mountains classification at Tour Feminin l'Ardeche
Related Articles
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By Jackie Tyson published
News Britton and Gordon win Shasta Gravel Hugger, TWENTY24 and Aevolo start new junior women's team - North American Roundup
US riders Faulkner and Stephens join Barta with road wins in Europe
By Jackie Tyson published
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Analysis Taking a closer look at the key themes emerging from the cobbled curtain-raisers
Faulkner, Vargas win time trial titles at Pan American Games
By Kirsten Frattini published
News 'Ending it with a medal makes me believe in myself again' says silver medallist Carapaz
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By Alasdair Fotheringham published
news Former double Giro d’Italia Donne stage winner moves to US team
Kristen Faulkner hit by car while training in California, sustains small knee fracture
By Simone Giuliani published
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'If a woman doesn't fuel properly, she could lose her period' - Faulkner hits back over glucose monitor DSQ
By Stephen Farrand published
News Kristen Faulkner argues UCI isn't taking women's health into consideration after Strade Bianche disqualification
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In-depth We take a deep dive into the key question marks surrounding the small disc at the centre of a storm
Blogs
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Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas -
UCI Gravel Worlds - new course, same criticisms cast doubt on event
Nathan Haas hears feedback from fellow riders on course elevation being 'selective without being stupid' -
Nathan Haas blog: We need to talk about the Unbound mud pit
Was it wrong to not re-route the course? -
Ellen van Dijk - Leading by example
'I have the chance to show the world how normal it should be to perform at a top level as a mother'