“We do things differently here at EF Education First, and for me that’s the biggest draw. I love being part of a team that sets itself apart from the rest of the pack. We want to get the best results, get the best out of ourselves, but we’re not only here to race our bikes. We all recognize we’re part of a bigger community, a bigger cause. We all aspire to inspire others to share in the joy that cycling brings.”
Lawson calls his cycling specialty the ability to suffer. He sustained a high-profile scapula fracture on the opening stage of the 2018 Tour de France, and captivated audiences worldwide as he raced all the way to the Tour’s conclusion in Paris as the race’s Laterne Rouge. En route to Paris, he raised $350,000+ for Houston’s Hurricane Harvey battered Alkek Velodrome, where he first learned to race.
Q&A with Lawson
Wolf. Definitely Wolf. I'm a one-man wolf pack right now but I'm definitely looking for people to join my wolf pack.
My wife. She keeps me sane. This lifestyle, you know all the ups and the downs, we experience, I can manage them because of her. She's definitely my travel must have secret weapon.
My first race bike was actually a Cannondale. It was a hand-me-down from Mom, purple down to the shifters. I did Texas State Championships on it, and I think I finished in fourth. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, but I had so much fund doing it. It was my introduction into the road cycling scene, and I have been hooked ever since.
I grew up on the outskirts of the city, but my parents have since moved closer into Houston. I love what the city stands for. I love how the community all comes together, especially during some of our hardest times, like in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Houston is a city that bonds together to lift up everyone. I love that about Houston, about Texas. I can’t wait to live in Houston some day.
My dad owns a roofing company, and it’s what I always wanted to do as a kid. I never wanted to be an astronaut or a firefighter or any of those cool things. I always wanted to be a roofer like my dad. My brother’s beat me by a few years, following in my dad’s footsteps, but I hope after my cycling career, I can jump into the company and really turn it into a family business.