Manx cyclist Max Walker has signed with UCI World Tour team EF Education–EasyPost.
The American team announced the 23-year old Douglas cyclist’s signing on Thursday afternoon.
In a statement a team spokesperson said: ‘Second in the British national time trial championships this summer, and third in the corresponding road race a few days later, Walker is a rising talent in the sport and one that will add considerable fuel to the fire inside the EF Education-EasyPost engine room.
‘Having already spent time with the team at a training camp at the start of the year, Walker is already well-versed in EF Pro Cycling culture. At the January camp in Mallorca, Spain, he roomed with Ben Healy and struck up an instant bond with the riders and staff on the team.’
Max added: ‘I’m super happy to be joining EF Education-EasyPost.
‘The training camp was a great experience, with a lot of good riding and loads of fun. I’ve got former teammates on the squad and the support that I had at the camp was top-notch. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.’
Walker has been riding for the development team of the Astana outfit Mark Cavendish rides for this year, claiming some notable results in the Tour of Japan and at the British nationals.
Next season will provide him with the opportunity to develop with an established WorldTour pro team. Team founder and chief executive Jonathan Vaughters said: ‘We’ve known about Max’s abilities for some time, having seen him develop as a U23 rider at Trinity Racing and then move to Astana’s development team this year.
‘Many riders would have found that transition both daunting and a huge leap but Max’s results and drive have really stood out this year and impressed us.’
‘Obviously Max is naturally talented against the clock, and with more time in the wind tunnel and working on his all-around time trialing, he can become a real asset to the team.
‘It’s still early in Max’s career, but the signs point to a rider who has perhaps been overlooked by some of the other teams out there. It’s a marathon, not a sprint with some of these young athletes coming through, and we firmly believe that Max has the staying power to make a difference.’
Max is set to move in the off-season and build his new base alongside several teammates in either Girona or Andorra.
