Taylor
Phinney extends with EF Pro Cycling for 2019
Taylor
Phinney has re-signed with EF Pro Cycling for the 2019 season. The American
had a great Spring Classics season finishing 8th at Paris-Roubaix, a
race he has always had a huge admiration of.
“I think I always had a strong
passion towards Paris-Roubaix, there's just something about that
race, there's a level of drama it has that doesn't exist in any other
race on the calendar. It was always the race that I looked forward to
watching before I started racing it.”
This will be Phinney’s third season
with EF Pro Cycling having moved from BMC Racing Team at the
beginning of 2017, after having raced six seasons with them. When
asked about Phinney re-signing with the team for 2019 here’s what EF
Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters had to say:
"Taylor. I don't even know
where to start! Obviously he's a talented bike racer with a depth of
ability that's uncommon, even at this level. We saw that at
Paris-Roubaix this year. He's clearly capable of great things, and
he's a very steady rider to have at a Grand Tour. He comes alive off
the bike, too. His art, his point of view, his constant desire to
wander. I like that about him, and I think as we expand our vision of
what this team is moving forward he certainly fits into that really
well."
Phinney is highly motivated about
the year ahead and being part of the team: “I mean I love it, there's
no other team that I could envision myself racing for in the
professional peloton. I feel like I can be honest with everyone
around me and myself and there's not a ton of expectations thrown on
you, on what you need to be and what you need to look like, and how
you need to act. They just let you explore yourself and let you be
who you want to be.
“The team obviously want to win
races and do well and that's a priority, but there's not this cookie
cutter that you need to be a certain way, or ride your bike a certain
way to be on the team, which you'll find on a lot of other programs.”
The 28 year old will look forward to
the Spring Classics again in 2019, as well as being excited for the
alternative race schedule that the team plan to race next year.
“I think that it is the greatest
thing ever. I mean when we were first hearing little rumours about
the change and that Rapha wanted to come on board, it felt like all
these different ideas that I had been talking about … all these
adventures I had been thinking about, it was like someone had read my
mind.”
.readfullarticle