EF Pro Cycling
EF Pro Cycling (UCI Code: EF1), is an American professional cycling team. Founded in 2003, they have competed in the UCI World Tour since 2009. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, United States, the team maintains an equipment and training facility in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. In 2018, EF Education First, an international education company — founded in Sweden but headquartered and incorporated in Switzerland — purchased a controlling equity stake in Slipstream Sports, the sports management company behind the team.[2] The founder and CEO is American Jonathan Vaughters and the head sporting director is Briton Charly Wegelius.[lower-alpha 1]
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| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | TIA (2005–2006) TSL (2007–2008) GRM (2009–2012) GRS (2012–2014) TCG (2015) CPT (2016) CDT (2016–2017) EFD (2018) EF1 (2019–present) |
| Registered | United States |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Discipline(s) | Road (2003–present) Track (2003–2006) |
| Status | Unrecognized (2003–2004) UCI Continental (2005–2006) UCI Professional Continental (2007–2008) UCI WorldTeam (2009–present) |
| Bicycles | Abici (2003) Lemond (2004) Javelin (2005–2006) Felt (2007–2010) Cervélo (2011–2014) Cannondale (2015–present) |
| Components | Shimano |
| Website | Team home page |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Jonathan Vaughters |
| Team manager(s) | Charly Wegelius |
| Team name history | |
2003 2004–2006 2007 2008 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2012–2014 2015 2016 2016–2017 2018 2019 2020– | 5280−Subaru Team TIAA−CREF Team Slipstream Team Slipstream−Chipotle Team Garmin–Chipotle p/b H30 Team Garmin−Slipstream Team Garmin−Transitions Team Garmin−Cervélo Team Garmin−Barracuda Garmin−Sharp Team Cannondale−Garmin Cannondale Pro Cycling Team Cannondale–Drapac Pro Cycling Team Team EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale EF Education First Pro Cycling[1] EF Pro Cycling |
Between the 2009 and the 2019 UCI World Tours, the team finished inside the top-ten on six occasions. Notable results include: the 2009 Vattenfall Cyclassics and the 2010 Vattenfall Cyclassics with American Tyler Farrar, the 2010 Tour de Pologne, the 2013 Volta a Catalunya, the 2013 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and the 2014 Giro di Lombardia with Irishman Dan Martin, the 2011 Tour Down Under with Australian Cameron Meyer, the 2011 Paris–Roubaix with Belgian Johan Vansummeren, the 2012 Giro d'Italia with Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné with American Andrew Talansky, the 2019 Tour of Flanders with Italian Alberto Bettiol, and the 2019 Bretagne Classic Ouest–France with Belgian Sep Vanmarcke. Between 2008 and 2019, the team claimed 25 Grand Tour stages – eight in the Giro d'Italia, eight in the Tour de France, and nine in the Vuelta a España. Colombian Rigoberto Urán and Briton Bradley Wiggins finished second and third, respectively, in the 2017 and 2009 Tours de France. In 2010, Garmin–Transitions signed Norwegian Thor Hushovd, the reigning UCI Road World Race Champion. In 2010, Briton David Millar won the silver medal at the UCI Road World Time Trial Championships. In 2015 and 2018, Lithuanian Ramūnas Navardauskas and Canadian Michael Woods won the bronze medal at their respective UCI Road World Race Championships. Between 2006 and 2012, the squad was partnered with American Chipotle–First Solar Development Team in the UCI America Tour. Between 2017 and 2019, it had ties to Australian Drapac Cannondale Holistic Development Team in the UCI Oceania Tour. Between 2008 and 2019, the squad won 37 national road race and time trial championships.
EF Pro Cycling is known for its anti-doping stance. The team reviews blood levels before signing riders, and maintains an internal testing system. Before 2015, no rider had tested positive during or after his tenure at the team. American Tom Danielson tested positive for synthetic testosterone in August 2015.[3] In October 2016, he accepted a four-year suspension for unintentionally consuming dehydroepiandrosterone.[4][5] Riders who competed with banned substances in the late-1990s to early-2000s are eligible to ride after their confession and ban.
History
Early years
Vaughters founded the team for 2003 as a junior development squad. Its sponsor was 5280 magazine in Denver. The following year TIAA-CREF became sponsor and Vaughters fielded professional and amateur riders. 5280 and TIAA-CREF continued to sponsor Garmin's youth riders in subsequent years, followed by the restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill.
2008–2010
In 2007 Slipstream Sports LLC took the management and the team raced under the name Team Slipstream. In 2008 Chipotle Mexican Grill began to sponsor the team and the team name was changed to Team Slipstream by Chipotle. The name was changed again in June 2008 after the navigation system manufacturer Garmin was announced as the title sponsor, a week prior to the 2008 Tour de France. Their first major Tour was the 2008 Giro d'Italia, where they won the Team Time Trial and Christian Vande Velde wore the pink jersey for one stage. In the Tour de France Vande Velde finished fourth and the team was leading from stage 3 until stage 6. Garmin remained sponsor in 2009 and the team was renamed Garmin-Slipstream. In the 2009 Tour de France Bradley Wiggins was a major surprise, finishing fourth overall – later upgraded to third place after Lance Armstrong's results were voided by the UCI – while Vande Velde finished 8th. In the 2009 Vuelta a España the sprinter Tyler Farrar, the time trial specialist David Millar and the Canadian Ryder Hesjedal took stage wins for the team. In 2010 Transitions Optical became co-sponsors of the team. Hesjedal was the best rider for the team in the 2010 Tour de France, finishing 7th.
2011–2014
On August 28, 2010, Garmin-Transitions announced it was switching working agreements from Felt Bicycles to Cervélo bikes, and that it would change its name to Garmin-Cervélo for the 2011 season. Felt chose not to exercise its option with Garmin-Transitions after a four-year working agreement. The Cervélo TestTeam folded and seven riders moved to Garmin-Cervélo, including then world champion Thor Hushovd.[6][7] Ahead of the 2012 season, the team again changed names to Garmin-Barracuda, after Barracuda Networks joined the team as a sponsor. Despite giving up the team's second name, Cervélo will remain with the team as its official bicycle supplier.[8] In June 2012, the Sharp Corporation became the second team name sponsor, although Barracuda remained a named member of the organisation.[9][10]
After months of speculation, Garmin-Sharp and Cannondale announced on 20 August 2014 that for the 2015 season the two teams would merge. Cannondale became the title sponsor and bike supplier, with Garmin remaining a key team sponsor. Slipstream Sports became the managerial organisation behind the team.[11]
2015 – Cannondale–Garmin
The 2015 season did not match the team's expectations, with only one World Tour win, courtesy of Davide Formolo at the Giro d'Italia. At the end of the season it was announced that long term team leaders, Dan Martin & Ryder Hesjedal would leave the team for Etixx Quickstep & Trek Factory Racing respectively. Co-title sponsor Garmin also announced they would not continue sponsorship of the team.
Anti-doping program
When the team entered the Professional Continental ranks they began in the Agency for Cycling Ethics[12] program to eliminate doping.[13] First, by recruiting admitted dopers (before being hired, riders are required to admit any past doping offenses to the team while keeping those revelations from the public), then by what is now conventional means. Participants are tested repeatedly to develop a bio-stable marker profile. Future tests check that these markers have not moved. If they have, it is a sign that the rider is ill or has taken performance-enhancing drugs. If any change has been noted, the rider cannot race until the markers have returned to normal. Riders are interviewed and tested for illness or doping.
2018 season funding issues
On 26 August 2017, during the Vuelta a España, Vaughters announced that a sponsor had backed out of a commitment to provide the team with funding for the following season, and that riders under contract for 2018 were free to seek employment elsewhere. In an effort to allow the team to continue racing in the 2018 season, a crowdfunding system was set up and other sponsors sought, for the team which needed a sum of about $7 million USD to continue for the next season.[14] On September 7 riders were told that their 2018 contracts would be enforced,[15] and two days later the new sponsor, EF Education First, was announced.[16]
Team roster
- As of August 1, 2020.[17]
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Major wins
National champions
- 2005
- 2006
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2019
- 2020
Team rankings
| League | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCI World Tour | 11 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 16 |
Notes
- Wegelius holds dual citizenship with Finland and the United Kingdom. However, he has a license with British Cycling (BC) under the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
References
- EF Education First Pro Cycling [@EFProCycling] (January 1, 2019). "2019 is a beautiful, open road. We've got a new team name: EF Education First. We'll debut the new kit soon (can't wait!) + we're working on a new website, too. Stay tuned here for updates! Thanks for following along with us in 2018. Happy New Year! #exploretheworld" (Tweet). Retrieved January 2, 2019 – via Twitter.
- Fred Dreider (September 19, 2018). "We bought a cycling team! Inside EF Education First's pro cycling experiment". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- "Tom Danielson fails doping test". VeloNews. San Diego, California: Competitor Group, Inc. August 3, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- "Danielson says ban reduced to four years because of 'unintentional ingestion'". Cyclingnews.com. Bath, England: Immediate Media Company Limited. October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- Neal Rogers (October 7, 2016). "Updated: Fourteen months later, USADA hands Tom Danielson four-year sanction". cyclingtips.com. South Melbourne, Victoria: BikeExchange Pty. Ltd. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- "Thor Hushovd Will Hunt for Major Classics Victory with New Team". slipstreamsports.com. Slipstream Sports. August 30, 2010. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- "Six more riders named to the new Garmin-Cervélo squad". slipstreamsports.com. Slipstream Sports. September 1, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- "Team Garmin-Cervélo Officially Renamed Team Garmin-Barracuda". Garmin-Barracuda. Boulder, Colorado; Campbell, California: Slipstream Sports LLC. January 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- "Garmin-Sharp replaces Garmin-Barracuda at the Tour de France". cyclingnews.com. Future Publishing Limited. June 25, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- Atkins, Ben (June 25, 2012). "Sharp joins Slipstream Sports as co-sponsor of Team Garmin". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- "Garmin Sharp and Cannondale merge for 2015". cyclingnews.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- "ACE-ing the test: New frontiers in drug testing". cyclingnews.com. Cyclingnews.com. February 24, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- "Garmin to Sponsor Slipstream Sports, Adding Edge 705 to Elite Cycling Team's Training". garmin.com. Garmin. January 28, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- News 2017-08-26T21:40:00Z, Cycling. "Cannondale-Drapac uncertain to continue in 2018". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- "cannondale-drapac-tells-riders-it-will-enforce-2018-contracts", CyclingNews.com, 2017, retrieved September 8, 2017
- Westemeyer, Susan (September 9, 2017). "EF Education First revealed as Cannondale-Drapac's new title sponsor for 2018". cyclingnews.com. CyclingNews. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
- Bacon, Ellis (January 1, 2020). "2020 Team Preview: EF Education First". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to EF Education First Pro Cycling. |
