Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
It costs a lot of money to look this cheap. - Dolly Parton
Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years is available in the print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
Latest completed racing:
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 27: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
- October 20: Veneto Classic
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
The team sent me this:
11 riders from six nationalities make up our new under-23 team
The long-awaited partnership between EF Education-EasyPost and Aevolo Cycling is ready for liftoff in 2025 with 11 riders joining the exciting new men’s U23 Continental team.
The team will race under the banner of EF Education-Aevolo and form a vital bridge between the EF Education-Onto junior team and the men’s WorldTour squad, EF Education-EasyPost.
Headed by former US pro Mike Creed, who has led the Aevolo program since its inception, our U23 squad will share the resources and the logistical support that our men’s and women’s professional teams enjoy.
“It’s exciting to start from scratch in setting up a European base and working with a proven WorldTour structure. I’m excited about the new landscape and getting fully stuck into a European calendar,” Creed said.
“We’ve put a lot of work into creating the best roster possible, and although we’re the new kids on the block, we want to make an instant impact on the road in 2025. Not just that, we’re keen to provide the right surroundings and culture for our young riders to explore and develop their careers. We have 11 riders but really this is about embarking on 11 adventures in the colors of EF Education–Aevolo,” Creed added.
The squad will consist of five riders from the United States, five Europeans, and one rider from Colombia. Carefully picked by Creed and the team’s head of scouting, Sebastian Langeveld, each athlete brings a different dynamic to the team, whether it’s their knowledge of racing on the cobbles of northern Europe, ability to handle the rigors of the US domestic scene, or excitement to soar to high-altitude summit finishes like those found in South America.
“It’s a super strong roster and we’re excited about the development and success for the future. On paper, Colby Simmons from the US and Noah Hobbs from Great Britain will be the riders we’ll lean on in the classics and flatter races. They’re our team captains, but we also have a strong climbing contingent. We’ve signed Miguel Ángel Marin who won the junior Tour of Colombia. I’m incredibly hopeful about him, and the rest of the team will give us major depth and scope for improvement,” Creed said.
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“Magnus Cartensen, from Denmark, was second in the junior Tour of Flanders this year, and Linus Larsson is the Swedish junior national road champion. Both riders are promising athletes, and I’m looking forward to seeing them and the rest of the team at our first training camp in January. Jenthe Verstraete looks like a talent for the tougher, hillier classics, and has been setting Strava records left, right and center, and I can see him learning a lot from guys like Colby and Noah. Then we have British star Joshua Golliker who is a proven U23 talent. He’s won some tough races already and we’re here to help him develop that consistency because I don’t know if there’s a ceiling for him right now,” added the new U23 team boss.
Creed also used his years of experience running a US-based cycling program to recruit a promising quintet of riders.
Colby Simmons brings three years of U23 racing experience to the team and enjoyed his best season yet in 2024, having finished second in the prestigious Tour Alsace in France.
Gavin Hlady and Ian López have moved across from Aevolo Cycling, while Noah Streif has successfully graduated from the EF Education-Onto junior team after gaining several standout results on both sides of the Atlantic this year. Hlady is the reigning American U23 road and criterium champion and raced as a stagiaire for our men’s WorldTour team in the second half of 2024. López, meanwhile, shone in several domestic stage races in the US. The final rider on the roster is Kellen Caldwell, a solid climber who picked up several podiums and top-tens in 2024.
“Gavin Hlady and Ian López have come from Aevolo, and Noah has graduated from the junior team but is still going to school in Germany, so we’re going to give him a bit more time over the next 12 months because obviously his education is super important to us and we’re going to fully support him in every way,” Creed said.
“Ian is a super-talented climber with a gravel background who could develop into a very solid climber and Gavin had a great year winning the U23 nationals. He’s got a great runway ahead of him. Kellen Caldwell was a rider we raced against this year in the US and he was scary strong. As he develops his tactical side he’ll become a complete rider,” Creed added.
EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters believes the creation of the EF Education–Aevolo team will enhance the organization’s overall hopes of discovering new talent and providing young riders with the opportunity to fulfil their WorldTour dreams at the right pace and within the best environment.
“It’s a first-year team and we’ve been opportunistic with our approach but we’re very much looking at the long-term vision,” Vaughters said.
“We have signed 11 riders who have all reached different stages of their careers. Someone like Noah has something of Mark Cavendish about him, especially in terms of his mindset and we’re going to try and develop him into the first pure sprinter we’ve had in this organisation in a long time. Then Colby is a great and respectful kid who will be part of the foundations of the team. He’ll be one of our leadership figures,” Vaughters added.
The prospect of mixing the U23 riders with the WorldTour, and at the same time, allowing pro riders to drop down to the U23 squad for a chance to find form or rehabilitate after injury, like Michael Valgren did in 2023, is another fundamental reason for the inception of the new team.
“That aspect is transformative in the way that you can develop riders. You can pull up a couple of hyper-performing U23 riders to try out what the WorldTour is like and then conversely if you have an injured rider who needs a longer time to come back you can give them a few rides to find their legs again. I think it’s a critical part of the organization, and having the U23 team will be incredibly valuable to us on several fronts. Overall, I’m confident that EF Education–Aevolo will win races in 2025 and help these young riders strive to fulfil their potential,” Vaughters said.
EF Education–Aevolo 2025 roster:
Colby Simmons (21)
Gavin Hlady (21)
Noah Streif (18)
Ian López (21)
Kellen Caldwell (21)
Noah Hobbs (20)
Joshua Golliker (20)
Miguel Ángel Marín (18)
Magnus Carstensen (18)
Linus Larsson (18)
Jenthe Verstraete (18)
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Here's the team's news:
On the strength of a historic 2024 season with 30 victories, Decathlon title partner since last year, and Ag2r La Mondiale, the team's historic partner, will continue to join forces for the 2025 season. Founded on shared values of solidarity and proximity, this collaboration, along with the commitment of the team's main partner Van Rysel, will be strengthened by several new features.
Dominique Serieys, General Manager of Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team:
"I'm extremely enthusiastic about this new 2025 season. The team's success is based on solid alliances: Decathlon and Ag2r La Mondiale are more than just title partners, they are true pillars who share our vision and values. The same goes for Van Rysel and Škoda, who are committed to our constant quest for performance. I'm delighted and proud to be able to count on such long-standing partners, as well as new ones, to whom I'd like to extend a warm welcome, who have placed their trust in us and are fully committed to this collaboration. This is a great opportunity for the team, as they will enable us to continue to develop our three teams, with the aim of building solid, competitive squads for the coming years."
The team riding in the 2024 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
A new sportswear range from Decathlon
Decathlon is taking a new step in its partnership with the team: from January 1, 2025, the brand will equip all riders staff with a new range of sportswear textiles and accessories, reinforcing its involvement in the world of top-level sport.
Céline Del Genes, Global Chief Customer Officer at Decathlon:
"This partnership represents the heart of what Decathlon stands for: pushing boundaries, innovating and offering cutting-edge products. After a first season crowned with shared success, we are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with the Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale team. By equipping not only riders but also the entire team staff, we are celebrating all the heroes of this sport. Together, we are competing at the highest world level and, above all, shaping the future of cycling."
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Innovation for performance
With one of the most comprehensive sports product catalogs on the market, Decathlon has made a strategic shift in recent years, developing a constantly evolving sportswear range through innovative collaborations. This success with customers has naturally led the brand to extend its partnership by supplying essential everyday equipment: footwear, technical clothing (excluding shorts and jerseys), luggage and other indispensable accessories.
Extended collaboration outside the riders
Decathlon is proud to support not only riders, but also the entire staff - sports directors, assistants, physiotherapists, stewards and many others. Aware of the crucial role these players play in the team's overall performance, the brand is committed to offering them high-quality products, perfectly adapted to their needs.
This partnership extension illustrates the shared ambition of Decathlon and the team: to push back the limits, on and off the roads.
Van Rysel reaffirms its commitment as the team's main partner
As a key partner in the team's sporting success, Van Rysel contributes its expertise and know-how, and reaffirms its commitment in 2025 by becoming the official designer and supplier of the team's cycling outfits.
To mark the occasion, the new jersey has been redesigned to combine performance and identity. Developed in a wind tunnel, the new kit, whose components and suit structure are designed to be aerodynamically efficient, is an ode to the thrill of speed, and is ready for remarkable new performances.
Nicolas Pierron, Van Rysel Manager:
"Van Rysel is the only brand in the world to design the cyclist's entire panoply. By reaffirming our commitment to Decathlon AG2R LA MONDIALE teams with cycling apparel, we optimize the performance of riders and achieve valuable marginal gains, continuing a collaboration built on shared goals of very high performance."
RCR-F, a new bike for sprint domination!
Starting this season, the RCR and XCR will share the roads with the RCR-F, an even more powerful machine that will propel riders classics and sprinters to new heights. Designed to cut through the air with speed, the RCR-F redefines the standards of aero bikes. aero bikes.
An iconic, identifiable look
Helmets and goggles are adorned with Van Rysel’s emblematic green, giving riders a distinctive style and enhanced visibility in the peloton.
Škoda new official technical partner
The Czech manufacturer joins Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team and will equip all three teams throughout the next four seasons. For the year 2025, Škoda will deliver a total of 32 vehicles branded with the colors of the 3 DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE teams, including 6 100% electric models and 12 PHEV models. 3 models are planned for the Development team, and 3 for the Junior team.
Julien Bessiere, Director of Škoda France:
"Škoda is very proud to be associated with the leading French cycling team. The objective of joining the Top 5 UCI teams echoes our ambitions on the French and European markets. We're convinced that our shared values make this partnership "Simply Obvious". Like Decathlon, our ambition is to make our customers' lives easier by offering them the best mobility solutions that will enable them to live their adventures to the full every day."
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