Neilson Powless

This is the page about Neilson Powless, an American cyclist who rides for EF Education-EasyPost. He is an attacking climber with a knack for the classics, where he achieved surprising successes. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Powless, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Born on September 3, 1996, Powless began his career in 2016 with the continental Axeon Hagens Berman team, where he was a teammate of riders like Ruben Guerreiro, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Eddie Dunbar and Krists Neilands. In his first professional year, he made an immediate impact with a ninth-place finish in the Tour of California. In 2017, Powless excelled in races for under-23 riders: securing a sixth place in the Baby Giro, and top ten finishes in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Flanders, showcasing his versatility.

Team LottoNL-Jumbo recognized the American's potential and offered him a two-year contract. There, Powless, along with Sepp Kuss, became part of the team's future climbing squad. Unlike his compatriot Kuss, Powless didn't quite make his mark, leading to his move to EF Pro Cycling in 2020. His performance improved significantly at EF. In his debut Tour de France with EF, Powless impressively secured two top-five stage finishes. 2021 was even better: after a modest first half of the year, Powless surprisingly won the Clásica San Sebastián, beating Matej Mohoric. A commendable fifth place at the World Championships in Belgium further solidified his reputation as a formidable contender in one-day races.

Powless started 2022 with an eighth place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and then displayed his attacking prowess in the Tour de France. He was one of the most combative riders in the peloton in France, earning him two fourth-place finishes and twelfth in the general classification. In the first week, he was even close to the yellow jersey but missed it by thirteen seconds in the fifth stage to Arenberg. Powless ended the year with his second victory in his career in the Japan Cup.