Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong to oversee
high-performance coaching
Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 and Aevolo Cycling have launched the only high-performance junior women’s road cycling team in the United States. While TWENTY24 Aevolo will be a standalone team under its own management and operations structure, the athletes will have access to the VBR TWENTY24 UCI professional women’s team athletes for invaluable mentoring both on and off the bike.
Advancing Female Cycling Development
This is a powerful complement to the VBR TWENTY24 program, which is the longest running women’s team in the world and includes a highly successful UCI women’s roster and a proven junior development club team. For the premier men’s U23 development team Aevolo Cycling, the venture is an exciting opportunity to bring their preeminent U23 men’s road development program to junior women in the sport. Aevolo’s mission aligns closely with the new junior women’s team, having won four of the last five National Road Championships while fostering an environment that encourages the pursuit of excellence in continued education and non-sporting life.
Strengthening the Cycling Ecosystem
TWENTY24 Aevolo will too set itself apart through clear, tangible goals and pathways for development with a strong focus on excelling in academics and life both in and out of sport. The team will operate under its own budget within the 501c3 non-profit Tam Cycling Inc. and will be managed by VBR TWENTY24’s Co-Founder and General Manager Nicola Cranmer, and Team Manager, Kaitlin Keough.
Empowering Female Leadership
Keough brings full-picture experience as a Team Manager for TWENTY24-Aevolo, having been both a successful coach for female athletes and a high-performance athlete in her own right.
The team has recruited three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion Kristin Armstrong to oversee high-performance coaching. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and bringing next-level performance to junior women,” said Armstrong. “Globally, the junior category in cycling has become highly competitive, just as it has been for mainstream sports for decades. It is critical to develop riders during these formative years so when it is time to make the leap to racing with elite women they are prepared and ready. Talent is falling through the cracks because the support for young women has not met the demand. I commend TWENTY24 and Aevolo for taking this step forward in the sport.”
TWENTY24 Aevolo will initially support three riders, leaving up to slots open for additional American recruits who may be identified throughout the 2024 2025 season. The team will align closely with USA Cycling to provide international race experience through a qualification process, which has been set in place by the sport’s governing body.
Early Season Success
TWENTY24 Aevelo’s first races were Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, AZ Tucson Bicycle Classic in Tucson, AZ and Largo Vista Stage Race in Texas, Helena Jones scored a second place in the Valley of the Sun road race and went on to win the junior women’s time trial in Largo Vista and Lauren Weigel finished up the weekend with a 3rd place in the general classification.
Photos – Lauren, Eire and Helena by Erin Millar
Management Team
Kaitie Keough (USA) Manager
Nicola Cranmer (GBR) General Manager
Kristin Armstrong (USA) High Performance Director
Julia Violich (USA) Director of Finance
Team Roster
Eire Chen (17) USA
Helena Jones (18) USA
Lauren Weigel (18) USA
Team Sponsors
Pro Cyclist Foundation
Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Domestique Foundation
Violich Farms
