Venture Echelon Racing returns in 2025 on the Continental degree for a 3rd 12 months our of eight seasons, confirming a 15-rider roster seeking to replicate, or go larger, than their 26 race wins from this previous season. Veterans Stephen Bassett, Brendan Rhim and Scott McGill kind a strong base with long-term targets fastened on illustration on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Video games.
Main the squad since 2022, Tyler Stites heads to Caja Rural-Seguros RGA on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old all-rounder has completed on the rostrum at US Professional nationals within the time trial or street race every of the final three years. He accounted for 18 stage or classification podium this previous season, together with the GC win at Tour of the Gila.
Solely two different riders depart, Zach Gregg and Matt Zimmer, whereas 11 riders return, together with Rhim and McGill who accounted for 4 stage wins throughout occasions within the US, France and Portugal. 4 new riders embrace US riders Cole Davis, Kieran Haug and Troy Fields plus Jonas Walton, the U23 Canadian ITT nationwide champion.
“We’re coming off of our most profitable season for the reason that workforce was based in 2016. With a complete of 26 wins that included a Nationwide Championship, a number of North American GC wins, and 5 UCI Europe Tour victories, replicating these outcomes is goal primary,” Eric Hill, workforce founder and race director for Venture Echelon Racing, advised Cyclingnews.
“Over the previous couple of seasons, Tyler Stites has been a significant focus of our race plans. Together with his departure, alternative goes to return calling for lots of riders. The power of our workforce is the workforce, guys simply stepping up, holding themselves accountable, and benefiting from alternatives.”
Stites was a constant performer at US Professional Nationals, however it was Bassett who delivered a victory final 12 months in shocking style on the US Professional males’s criterium championship in Charleston, West Virginia. The truth is, Venture Echelon Racing swept the elite males’s podium on the crit championships, Rhim in second and McGill in third.
Bassett, now 29 years previous, gained notoriety in 2019 when he stole the present in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee on the US Professional Street Nationals, ending three seconds behind winner Alex Howes for the silver medal. This previous April, his Denver Disruptors workforce instantly folded, and he was supplied a roster spot on Venture Echelon, simply in time to thank them with a stars-and-stripes jersey at Street Nationals two weeks later.
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“So overjoyed to be racing my bike and to deliver residence the celebrities and stripes criterium title! In all the pleasure, I type of forgot that this was my first race with Venture Echelon Racing and I can not thank each member of the workforce sufficient for welcoming me with such open arms,” Bassett had posted to social media.
Hill mentioned the workforce would proceed to lean on Bassett for management in 2025, however that “any rider can win on any given day.”
“Clearly, there are cultural leaders within the workforce, guys like Sam Boardman, Ricky Arnopol and Laurent Gervais who typically play the position of the last word teammate, and riders with a number of expertise to lean on like Brendan Rhim, Scott McGill and Stephen Bassett. However the power of our workforce is the workforce, guys simply stepping up, holding themselves accountable, and benefiting from alternatives,” Hill mentioned.
“Hugo Scala, who received the workforce’s first .Professional on the Vuelta Portugal, is definitely set for a breakout 12 months. Riders like Laurent Gervais, who typically performed the position of tremendous domestique, may even see new alternatives.”
Of the brand new expertise, Hill anticipated the quartet to contribute straight away, with Fields and Walton particularly bringing power in time trials.
Fields, a 21-year-old from California, was the silver medallist at US nationals within the males’s junior time trial, and in addition completed second within the ITT at Tucson Bicycle Traditional. He displayed his versatility with a stage win at Vuelta Ciclista a Zamora, and in addition had prime fives at Highlands Gravel Traditional and Boulder Roubaix.
Walton, son of Canadian street race champion and Olympian Brian Walton, rode the final two seasons on the Continental degree with Workforce Ecoflo Chronos. The 20-year-old has a pair of collegiate nationwide titles and completed fourth on GC at Tour of the Gila.
‘I used to be drawn to Venture Echelon because of their potential to seek out success in a wide range of races. Whether or not that’s North American or European racing, stage outcomes or GC wins, and a variety of outcomes all throughout their roster. It appears to be like like an important workforce with loads of alternatives to develop,” Walton mentioned in a workforce assertion.
Hill mentioned the lineup ought to ship Venture Echelon Racing as one of the vital prolific groups in North America, with US Nationwide Championships as a prime goal, in addition to a European calendar.
“Long run, we now have set a purpose of being the highest UCI Continental Workforce on the earth by the 2028 LA Olympics the place we hope to have robust illustration of Venture Echelon Racing Athletes, in addition to veteran athletes within the Paralympic Video games. Via these items, our hope is that we’re inspiring the expansion of biking in North America and utilizing our platform to share our mission to coach, equip and empower veterans by way of bodily exercise.”
Venture Echelon Racing roster 2025
- Ricky Arnopol (USA)
- Stephen Bassett (USA)
- Cade Bickmore (USA)
- Sam Boardman (USA)
- Caleb Classen (USA)
- Ethan Craine (New Zealand)
- Cole Davis – (USA)
- Laurent Gervais (CAN)
- Kieran Haug – (USA)
- Troy Fields – (USA)
- Colby Lange (USA)
- Scott McGill (USA)
- Brendan Rhim (USA)
- Hugo Scala (USA)
- Jonas Walton (CAN)
