EF Education-EasyPost under review: third time's the charm for the leader on duty?
CyclingWednesday, 06 November 2024 at 18:51
We have arrived at the second-to-last month of 2024, so we may quietly begin reflecting on the previous months. This is useful for a cycling team since all the races in 2024 have already been completed. IDLProCycling.com reviews the year of the American squad EF Education-EasyPost in this article!
One-day races 2024: EF Education-EasyPost
EF Education-EasyPost has not focused entirely on spring races in recent seasons, yet they performed well with riders such as Neilson Powless and Alberto Bettiol each time. The American missed the entire spring due to a lingering injury, so it was up to the ex-Ronde van Vlaanderen winner to fill the void.
He did that well, with a victory in Milan-Turin and fifth place in Milan-Sanremo as highlights. He also finished in the top ten in the Tour of Flanders. EF Education-EasyPost did not come into its own in the hilly classics, where it excelled last season with Ben Healy.
After delivering several national champions, Powless saved the fall by winning Gran Piemonte and the Japan Cup, ending the three-month drought after the Tour. The American also finished in the top ten in Clasica San Sebastian, the GP Quebec, and the Tour of Lombardy, ensuring he grabbed a few points despite his short season.
Read more below the photo!
(Grand) rounds 2024: EF Education-EasyPost
Richard Carapaz has been the man who should get on the Tour de France podium on behalf of Jonathan Vaughters' pink formation for two years, but bad luck got in the way this year as well. A crash in the Tour of Switzerland threw his podium ambitions into disarray, but Carapaz wouldn't be Carapaz if he could still put a good twist on it. The Ecuadorian was among the best climbers in the final week, winning a stage and claiming his much-desired polka dot jersey.
In the Vuelta a España, Carapaz later finished fourth, which is a reasonable base for 2025. Earlier in the year, Georg Steinhauser picked up another stage victory in the Giro on behalf of the team, meaning the overall rating of the all-important grand tours for the formation is generally positive. It also has to be said that the team always raced to win.
Bettiol and Marijn van den Berg were also victorious in smaller French stage races, while the team did not achieve much in the one-week WorldTour races. Carapaz's best final result was seventh place in the Tour de Romandie.
Read more below the photo!
Final grade 2024 EF Education-EasyPost
Overall, we rate EF Education-EasyPost a 6.8. Given the budget and riders, the team performed satisfactorily, but we hope more can be achieved in 2025.
Transfers 2024/2025 EF Education-EasyPost
During the season, EF Education-EasyPost said goodbye to a rider with the abrupt departure of Bettiol to the Astana Qazaqstan Team. A worthy replacement was brought in in the winter months with Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step). Furthermore, the team announced the arrival of all-rounders Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R), Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan Team), and Max Walker (training squad Astana Qazaqstan Team).
However, EF Education-EasyPost is not an overly eager team to announce transfers and contract extensions, so it has only 21 riders under contract for next season. Besides Bettiol, the departures of Simon Carr (Cofidis), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty), Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R), and Rigoberto Urán (quits) are official.
Ones to watch 2025 EF Education-EasyPost
Last season, EF Education-EasyPost made a slight change by attracting several young riders. It will be interesting to see how some riders can evolve next year. Take Lukas Nerurkar: the Brit finished fourth in Eschborn Frankfurt this year and has finished top ten several times in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
With Steinhauser, Archie Ryan, Healy, and Van den Berg, some guys on the team can make progress. The latter two rode their first Tour de France last season and may reap the benefits of that in the coming spring amid experienced leaders Carapaz, Powless, and Asgreen.
(Provisional) selection 2025 EF Education-EasyPost
- Andrey Amador
- Kasper Asgreen
- Samuele Battistella
- Alex Baudin
- Markel Beloki
- Richard Carapaz
- Hugh Carthy
- Ben Healy
- Mikkel Honoré
- Lukas Nerurkar
- Neilson Powless
- Sean Quinn
- Darren Rafferty
- Jack Rootkin-Gray
- Archie Ryan
- Georg Steinhauser
- Harry Sweeny
- Yuhi Todome
- Marijn van den Berg
- Jardi Christiaan van der Lee
- Max Walker
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024