Challenge Echelon Racing strikes to the UCI Continental stage in 2023 after six seasons within the beginner ranks and as a US home elite males’s workforce. The 12-rider roster can be led by Tyler Stites, who at two UCI stage races within the US final yr received a pair of levels at Tour of the Gila and had a trio of third-place finishes at Joe Martin Stage Race.
The Wisconsin-based programme had certainly one of its most profitable street campaigns in 2022, with GC victories in US stage races – Tucson Bicycle Traditional, Redlands Bicycle Traditional, Valley of the Solar and Inexperienced Mountain Stage Race. On the criterium scene, Challenge Echelon swept the person classes and completed second as a workforce within the inaugural American Criterium Cup.
“This can be a momentous alternative for our workforce, riders, followers, and the a whole bunch of army veterans that the Challenge Echelon group helps. We consider within the work that we’re doing on and off the bike,” Eric Hill, workforce proprietor and supervisor, stated in regards to the step as much as Continental stage and persevering with to help nationwide non-profit Challenge Echelon, with its mission to help army veterans by bodily exercise and self-discovery.
“We’ve constructed a profitable tradition, outlined by our grit and perseverance. To make this announcement as we have a good time Veterans Day makes it much more particular.”
Among the many key departures are US riders Brandon Feehery and George Simpson together with Canadian Jordan Cheyne. Feehery accounted for the professional males’s titles, general and factors, on the American Criterium Cup, whereas Simpson earned the bronze medal on the US Professional Time Trial Championship.
On the US Professional Street Race Championship in Knoxville, Stites outsprinted Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) for the silver medal. He later raced as a stagiaire for Human Powered Well being and can be key to the workforce’s stage race roster.
In criterium occasions, 21-year-old Ethan Craine completed on the podium on the season-ending Bucks County Traditional in Pennsylvania in mid-September. A string of robust ends in the American Criterium Cup sequence landed the highest U23 prize for the New Zealander and boosted Challenge Echelon to a second-place general within the workforce standings.
Racing in 2023 will start with a choose squad in February at Tour of Antalya in Turkey and the Tour of Rwanda. Then the total roster will convene for a coaching camp in Tucson, Arizona in March forward of the Tucson Bicycle Traditional, the place Stites and teammate Zach Gregg went one-two in GC final spring.
US-based stage races will proceed to be a deal with the schedule together with Tour de Beauce in Canada, Vuelta a Guatemala and a block of European races in July and August. The workforce may even goal races for its sprinters on the American Criterium Cup sequence once more.
The workforce will proceed its partnership with key gear sponsors, together with Argon 18 with SUM frames, Reynolds with AR sequence wheels, Kask with helmets, sun shades by Koo and clothes by Jakroo, which incorporates the Arrow skinsuit for tech attire.
The workforce will proceed to advertise the mission and imaginative and prescient of Challenge Echelon and obtain help from veteran-owned firms, equivalent to BioTech Pharmacal and Hint-A-Matic. One of many premier neighborhood occasions would be the Challenge Echelon Fondo in Tucson, on March 12, an open occasion to all followers and supporters.
“The partnership Challenge Echelon has with firms goes past the game of biking. We provide help to veteran worker useful resource teams, entry to well being and wellness advantages, and empower our communities. The visibility we convey by the game is simply an additional benefit for a lot of of our companions as we stay centered on our mission.”
Challenge Echelon Racing 2023 roster
- Ricky Arnopol (USA)
- Ethan Craine (NZL)
- Zach Gregg (USA)
- Will Hardin (USA)
- John Heinlein (USA)
- Colby Lange (USA)
- Sam Morris (Can)
- Peter Olejniczak (USA)
- Hugo Scala (USA)
- Tyler Stites (USA)
- Stephen Vogel (USA)
- Matt Zimmer (USA)