The Rally Cycling Women`s team has signed American climber Krista Doebel-Hickok in what will likely be the only 2019 addition to the US-based team`s current roster. Doebel-Hickok spent the past three seasons racing with Cylance Pro Cycling in Europe, where she competed in the Giro d`Italia, La Flèche Wallonne, Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Her palmares include a stage victory at the Tour de Feminin in 2015 and third on stage 2 of the 2017 Amgen Tour of California. Doebel-Hickok was fourth overall at the 2017 Amgen Women`s Race behind Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans), Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare) and Arlenis Sierra (Astana). The 29-year-old California native started her pro career with Tibco in 2014 before moving in 2016 to Cylance, where she raced mostly in Europe for the past three seasons. Returning to a team with a US-focused calendar for next season was a top priority.ADVERTISEMENT `I wanted to be part of a US-based program in 2019,` Doebel-Hickok said in a statement released by the team. `When speaking with teams, I considered the race calendar, level of support, team director, professionalism and roster. Rally Cycling checked every box off of my 2019 wish list like no other team could. It was a pretty simple and quick decision.` With the majority of the 2018 roster returning next season, team director Zach Bell had just one roster spot to fill, and he looked for an experienced rider. `I look at each rider and ask if we can work together and possibly be more than the sum of our parts,` Bell said. `I saw that opportunity with Krista. The team is starting the transition from strictly about development to an international competitor. Krista brings experience in Europe and abilities that will help us be the best team in North America.`
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
|
