EF Education-EasyPost announced the signing of the 2025 season's 27th confirmed rider with neo-pro Alastair MacKellar joining the team after a successful year with Hagens Berman Jayco.
McKellar, 22, won the stage of this season's Alpes Isel Tour, approaching the stage win at the summit of the Giro Cică»Cristico Della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc.
The 2023 u-23 Australian Road and time Trial champion has been chasing his dream of racing in Europe since leaving the junior ranks. He competed in several races later in the season as a trainee at Jayco-AlUla, but instead signed with EF Education-Easypost.
"This has been my dream since I started riding as a junior," McKellar said in a team press release. "I've done all 23 years as a u-4 in Europe and worked hard for this. I am very happy to get the opportunity and trust from the team."
Living his Dream in the world The tour comes with expectations and pressure, but the Queensland rider is focused on the basics.
"I really want to go with a little bit of weight off my shoulders and just train hard and be physical in the best shape I can and let it come. Next year will be a lot of special occasions, which are really important to me. When they happen, I just want to be in the best shape I can be and then do the best I can."
EF Education-EasyPost has left Alberto Bettiol, Stefan Bissegger, Simon Carr and Jonas Lucci for other world tour outfits, while Rigoberto Uran has retired.
Caspar Asgren, Alex Bodin, Madis Miquels, Vincenzo Albanese, Samuele Battistella, Neo Pro McKeller and Max Walker joined the team.
The team's CEO, Jonathan Waters, sees McKellar as a rider in the Ardennes Classic and hilly stage races.
"Alastair has a strong motor," said Waters. "In the under-23 rank, he has shown that he can make a break stick after a hard, hilly day of racing and he has done a lot of work on his time trial... We are really looking forward to working with him as he steps up to WorldTour."
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