This story was published in Vol 1, Issue 1
Alexey Vermeulen is a lot of things. He’s currently one of just 25 elite men competing on the Life Time Grand Prix circuit, an off-road cycling race series. In 2025, he won the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival, placed fourth at USA Gravel Nationals and signed a prestigious contract with high-end cycling brand ENVE.
But none of that is what Vermeulen is best known for. He’s better known as Willie’s dad. Willie, standing at around five inches tall and 31 inches long, is Vermeulen’s main riding buddy. The long-haired mini dachshund is also the FKD — Fastest Known Dog.
They’re a familiar duo around Boulder and in the cycling community nationwide; Vermeulen riding past wearing a backpack with Willie’s head sticking out, looking over his shoulder. He has loyal followings on Instagram and YouTube, and holds the title of Strava’s “Chief Bark Officer.”
But Willie’s impact goes beyond that. He is, as Vermeulen calls him, the “Great Equalizer.”
“In a space as well known as Boulder, we’re all kind of focused on our own thing at times,” Vermeulen said. “And I’ve noticed that Willie is this thing that pulls people out of their own space.”
Willie’s cycling career began in 2019, on an old single-speed bike bought off Facebook Marketplace. That bike belonged to Sophie Linn, an Olympic triathlete and Vermeulen’s girlfriend, who adopted Willie right out of college in Michigan.
“I had this list of things that I needed to do,” Linn said. “Get a job, get a dog, get a car.”
She did two of those things, and soon realized she needed a way to get Willie around town. So, she copped a backpack designed to carry dogs and began to slowly introduce him to it.
“Willie didn’t really care, so I just put him in and went for a ride,” Linn said.
When she and Vermeulen met, they started going on rides together during the pandemic and took Willie with them.
“I think that’s honestly where Willie really started to love riding, because the two of us were together,” she said.
Willie’s career as a cycling icon was launched when Vermeulen met Avery Stumm, his friend and videographer. Together, they began to make content about Vermeulen’s cycling career: his training, day-to-day life and races. Eventually, Willie became a recurring star in their videos.
“It’s kind of funny, because I always saw it being like this cute dog on his back, but I never really envisioned it becoming a bigger thing,” Stumm said. “And then slowly, over the course of the years of filming we’ve done, he just sort of came with us everywhere.”
Soon, Willie became synonymous with Vermeulen. At races, people know to look for Willie because aside from his cute demeanor, he means something more to the cycling community.
“I think dogs in general are the great connector in a lot of ways. I think dogs can break down barriers between people,” Stumm said. “The intimidation of a pro athlete … a lot of people maybe think ‘Oh, that person’s untouchable’ or ‘Oh, I can’t talk to them.’”
Gravel racing is a unique sport: it’s the first cycling discipline that’s more prominent in the United States than Europe. It offers a blend of amateurs and professionals, who compete at the same races. It’s also an incredibly grueling sport. One of the marquee events of gravel racing is Unbound Gravel, a 200 mile race in Emporia, Kansas.
Vermeulen thinks about these races in segments. The first 50 miles are all about surviving the chaos of the start, and the middle chunk is where he gets into the rhythm of racing. The final stretch is where it gets tough.
“I’ve never been to war, but it feels like you’re going to war. Your body is giving up, your mind is giving up. You’re trying to figure out why you’re even doing this,” he said.
Enter Willie.
“I’ll ride by and someone will yell ‘Do it for Willie!’” Vermeulen said.
He has drawings of Willie on the back of his jerseys, which also say “let op,” something his grandfather, who got him into cycling, used to say. Loosely, it means “pay attention” in Dutch, and it’s a grounding reminder for Vermeulen.
“It’s kind of like, be aware of everything going on in your life. Be aware of the way you speak. Be aware of how you spend your energy,” he said.
Let op is something Vermeulen carries throughout his life. Outside of being a top competitor, he co-founded From the Ground Up, a project that supports people getting into cycling, helping them get gear, train and eventually race the Leadville 100.
Vermeulen has a mission to build community within his sport. Through Willie, he can spark connection and conversation with cyclists of all abilities. Willie’s title as FKD on Strava isn’t just a publicity stunt. His ears flapping in the wind have become a symbol of fun, goofy energy in a sport that can often feel closed off.
“It’s comical. Willie’s fame really transcends his social media platform. There are so many unpleasant things in this world, and I think Willie is often a fantastic juxtaposition to that,” Linn said.
Willie declined to comment for most of this story, apart from the occasional woof at passersby.
