Neilson Powless has signed a deal to stay with EF Training-EasyPost for the subsequent 4 seasons, the workforce introduced on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old loved a robust 2025 season, successful Dwars door Vlaanderen from a breakaway with three Visma-Lease a Bike riders, outwitting Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot.
“I by no means thought in one million years that I might attempt to win a cobbled basic, but it surely occurred this yr, and now I’m chomping on the bit to again it up and construct a spring round Monuments racing,” Powless acknowledged within the workforce’s press launch.
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“I have never received a Monument but. And that is undoubtedly a purpose that I need to hit. However, simply with the ability to be within the combine of each Monument I’ve began reveals the completeness and the variety of the athlete that I’ve turn into. It makes bike racing tremendous enjoyable, as a result of I can go to each race and become involved within the motion.”
After his victory in April, Powless went on to attain prime 10s in Brabantse Pijl, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Eschborn-Frankfurt earlier than taking his second victory within the GP Gippingen. He closed out the season with prime performances in San Sebastian, the GP de Montréal and Gran Piemonte, cementing his fame as a one-day race specialist.
“I do not assume I ever would have realized that I might be a classics rider till I joined this workforce,” Powless mentioned. “This workforce is known for its outside-of-the-box techniques. Letting me go to the classics, or the best way Ben [Healy] raced into the yellow jersey on the Tour, or simply the best way we race the Tour yearly, reveals that. It makes it a extremely enjoyable workforce to race for.
“Our techniques are all the time thrilling and there are lots of alternatives right here for lots of men. That has helped me progress. I’ve discovered my area of interest in biking right here. Being opportunistic in arduous, arduous races has actually paid off. That is the best way I’ve realized to race and the best way I need to preserve racing. This workforce is simply the right setting for that.”
Powless joined the workforce in 2020 after two seasons with Visma. Beginning out as a climber, he confirmed promise as a stage racer on the 2022 Tour de France, ending twelfth general and narrowly lacking out on taking the maillot jaune.
Since then, he has turned his focus to the classics, ending within the prime 10 in Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders in 2023 and at Il Lombardia final yr.
“I’ve transitioned into this opportunistic one-day racer, who’s capable of race on virtually any form of terrain – cobblestones, climbing, flat, circuit races, or simply tremendous lengthy point-to-points like Sanremo.
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“I feel I’ve developed into a extremely full rider throughout my time on this workforce. The way in which that we go to races and attempt to obtain outcomes has introduced that out of me. I’m actually pleased and happy with the form of rider I’ve turn into.”
EF Professional Biking CEO Jonathan Vaughters defined why the workforce prolonged Powless’ contract for 4 years.
“Everyone knows that Neilson’s work ethic is mainly second to none. He’ll prepare as arduous as he presumably can, till the day comes when he can now not race a motorbike,” Vaughters mentioned. “That’s so in his nature. I’ve no doubts that his efficiency will proceed to be glorious. Slowly however certainly, he’s studying actual race craft too.
“Neilson was type of a bull in a china store in years previous, utilizing his energy to repair issues. He is studying to be a motorbike racer now. His race craft and his means to tactically learn a race has improved significantly. That’s going to assist his efficiency over the long run. He’ll be capable to win extra races, as a result of he is aware of the right way to be a greater bike racer now than he did earlier than.”
