2024 Tour of the Gila GC winner Tyler Stites has signed a two-year contract to race for Caja Rural-Seguros RGA and can transfer from the US-based Continental programme Project Echelon Racing to start the 2025 season.
“I’m very excited to make the soar to the ProTeam stage, one thing I’ve been working in the direction of for a very long time,” Stites advised Cyclingnews.
“I felt like I used to be able to make this soar a couple of years in the past after 5 seasons racing and growing on Aevolo beneath Mike Creed, however the huge groups weren’t . I used to be fortunate to finish up racing for Project Echelon for the final three seasons, the place I continued to develop and have become a extra well-rounded rider. Results in larger European races had been essential for an expert staff to note me.
“I’m very grateful that Project Echelon made it a precedence to get us loads of European racing alternatives this 12 months. I’m trying ahead to new experiences subsequent 12 months and going to races I’ve by no means completed earlier than.”
Stites landed the radar of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA from his latest performances in opposition to WorldTour expertise at US Pro Road Nationals and his performances in European occasions. The staff mentioned he demonstrated “tactical skill in breakaways and his good velocity in small teams”. Stites mentioned Caja Rural did not simply pay attention to the race outcomes, however noticed him compete at lots of the occasions they usually reached out to him.
“European biking is raced at a better stage than in [North] America, however nonetheless lots of the abilities I realized in America apply to European racing as effectively. I’m an all-rounder. I get pleasure from racing on any terrain however I’ve discovered essentially the most success with diminished group sprints. I’m trying ahead to contributing to the staff’s success.”
Stites is amongst a brand new trio of riders just lately signed for 2025 and 2026 by the Spanish-based ProTeam, becoming a member of Spaniard Javier Ibáñez from the Caja Rural Alea membership squad and Alex Molenaar from Dutch rider Illes Balears Arabay. Caja Rural have a status for his or her steadiness of worldwide expertise. This 12 months three South American riders accrued a haul of UCI factors to place the staff within the prime 25 of the World Rankings. Ecuadorian Jefferson Cepeda, who gained the GC at Tour of Qinghai Lake this summer season, has been one of many staff’s prime riders this 12 months and is signed by way of 2026.
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Stites carried out persistently all through his profession at US stage races, profitable the Mount Sequoyah stage and the mountains classification on the 2021 Joe Martin Stage Race in his closing 12 months with Aevolo, the US growth programme. In his first season with Project Echelon, the Arizona native gained the GC at Redlands Bicycle Classic, gained two levels of the Tour of the Gila and was on the rostrum in three out of 4 levels at Joe Martin for third general. He went on to win the GC two extra instances at Redlands and end on the GC podium at twice at Tour de Beauce.
“We are excited for Tyler and his alternative to race an entire European calendar,” staff founder and director Eric Hill advised Cyclingnews.
Hill known as Stites “a cornerstone” for the squad with a wide range of contributions since 2022 that propelled him to a stable all-arounder, taking prime ends in hilly street races, quick criteriums and any time of time trial.
“Tyler has been a cornerstone of Project Echelon for the previous three seasons. His dedication to the craft, consideration to element, and killer race instincts pushed this staff to new ranges and elevated the efficiency of everybody round him.”
This 12 months, Stites had eight victories, which included a win at Rhodes GP. He additionally had two podiums at Volta a Portugal and three prime 10s on the Tour of Rhodes. Domestically, he swept GC titles at Redlands and Tour of the Gila. So when he earned the silver medal within the time trial at US Pro Road Nationals, ending on the rostrum between winner Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), European groups took be aware.
It was not the primary time he gave WorldTour riders a run for his or her cash. In 2023 he earned the bronze within the US Pro street race behind winner Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and in 2022 he outsprinted Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) for the silver within the US Pro street race.
“We sit up for watching Tyler fly to new heights within the European peloton with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA in 2025, a staff we all the time sit up for competing in opposition to when overseas,” Hill said on social media.
Stites was initially on the roster with Project Echelon Racing to compete on the Tour of Britain subsequent week however will stay within the US for his closing race with the staff close to his house El Tour de Tucson on November 23.
Project Echelon can be one in every of 4 debutant UCI Continental groups on the Tour of Britain, which begins September 3 in Scotland, the place they’ll line up in opposition to 4 WorldTour groups – Ineos Grenadiers, Soudal-QuickStep, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL and Bahrain Victorious.