Eleven Riders From Six Nationalities
Comprise EF Education-Aevolo Cycling Team
The long-anticipated collaboration between EF Education-EasyPost and Aevolo Cycling will launch in 2025 with the formation of a U23 men’s Continental team, EF Education–Aevolo. The squad of 11 riders will bridge the development pathway between the EF Education-Onto junior program and the EF Education-EasyPost WorldTour team.
Led by Mike Creed, a former U.S. professional and the driving force behind the Aevolo program, the U23 team will benefit from the resources and infrastructure of EF’s professional squads. Creed expressed enthusiasm for the venture, emphasizing the team’s focus on establishing a European base and competing in a robust European race calendar.
“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.
EF Education-Aevolo Team Composition
The EF Education-Aevolo roster includes five U.S. riders, five Europeans, and one Colombian, each selected for their diverse strengths, ranging from climbing to classics racing. Standout names include U.S. rider Colby Simmons, a proven leader in flatter races, and Miguel Ángel Marín of Colombia, who impressed by winning the junior Tour of Colombia. European recruits like Magnus Carstensen, runner-up in the junior Tour of Flanders, and Linus Larsson, Swedish junior national champion, highlight the team’s international depth.
Development and Goals
Creed is particularly excited about the team’s dual focus on performance and development. “We’re aiming to cultivate a culture where riders can excel on and off the bike,” he said. Among the talents, Joshua Golliker from Britain and Jenthe Verstraete from Belgium are expected to grow into pivotal roles, while experienced U.S. riders like Gavin Hlady and Ian López add depth to the climbing and stage race squad.
“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.
Vision and Integration
EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters emphasized the strategic value of the U23 team within the organization.
“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.
2025 EF Education–Aevolo 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)
Photo © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
