After losing Carapaz, EF Education-EasyPost chases stage wins in the Tour de France with these eight riders
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Follow us on GoogleAs has often been the case, EF Education-EasyPost was once again one of the last teams to announce its Tour selection. The American team was the 22nd out of 23 teams to finalize its eight-man squad, and it looks like a fairly offensive lineup.
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With the loss of Richard Carapaz, EF recently had to swallow a bitter pill. “Last week he began experiencing stomach pain and high fever. He underwent several rounds of tests, which revealed a gastrointestinal infection, confirmed by additional scans. The medical staff in Ecuador prescribed him antibiotics and medication to control the pain and fever,” the team reported at the time.
So the question remained: who would EF bring to the start? Using attacking language, the team made its intentions clear in a communiqué. “Our guys will go on the attack when the time is right. They will seize every opportunity in the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, and the Alps. Watch for their attacks all the way to the final lap in Paris, over Montmartre and the Champs-Élysées. We head into the Tour with eight riders who each have the strength, endurance, and skills to win a stage on their day and make their childhood dreams come true.”
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Offensive eight-man squad chases stage wins for EF in the Tour
Chasing stage wins is the goal, and for that, the American team has called up a very dangerous contender in Neilson Powless. “I also want to win a stage. That would absolutely complete my career. I have to say that a victory in the Tour de France, or wearing the yellow jersey, is still the one thing that’s missing. Honestly, it feels like that’s the only thing that matters. I’m doing everything I can to achieve that someday.”
With Ben Healy, EF is also bringing another pure attacker. “I would love to win a stage in the Tour de France. Last year was my first experience at the Tour, and it was just amazing. It’s a shame we lost Richie in the run-up this time, because he was flying in the Giro, but I think the rest of us are ready to step up. We’re going to get a lot of opportunities. We have a very well-balanced team that can go for it almost every day in the Tour.”
For the flat finishes, the team will rely not only on Vincenzo Albanese but also on Marijn van den Berg. The Dutchman is lining up for his second Tour. “It’s the biggest race of the season, with so much media attention. The level is super high, and the sprints are super chaotic. Winning a stage would make my career. I’m not a pure sprinter, of course. Vincenzo is, and he’s in top form. I’ll help him and hope to get some chances myself too.”
Harry Sweeny, Michael Valgren, Alex Baudin, and Kasper Asgreen complete EF’s Tour selection. The latter already won a stage at this year’s Giro d’Italia.
EF Education-EasyPost selection - Tour de France 2025
Neilson Powless
Ben Healy
Vincenzo Albanese
Marijn van den Berg
Harry Sweeny
Michael Valgren
Alex Baudin
Kasper Asgreen
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026