Brandon McNulty to race alongside 12.000 Americans - UAE rider takes rainbow jersey back home to Arizona

Brandon McNulty will make his first appearance in the world champion's rainbow jersey on American soil on November 21, when he lines up at El Tour de Tucson in Arizona. The 28-year-old Phoenix native will take part in the event for the first time, bringing his newly won world title to a mass-participation ride that is expected to attract around 12,000 cyclists.

McNulty claimed the elite men's road race title at the UCI Road World Championships with a solo victory, giving the United States its first men's elite road race world champion since 1993. His appearance in Tucson will provide an opportunity for local fans to see the rainbow jersey shortly after his breakthrough triumph.

The event, now in its 43rd edition, offers three distances, with the longest covering 165 kilometres. Unlike professional races, El Tour de Tucson does not offer prize money, with participants competing for personal achievement and the prestige of taking part.

McNulty will not be the only prominent name on the start list. Three-time US road race national champion Quinn Simmons, Canadian road champion Jérôme Gauthier, multiple-time road and track world champion Chloe Dygert, and former professional cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins are also expected to participate.

The event is the flagship initiative of El Tour America, a nonprofit organization that stages cycling events and raises money for more than 120 other nonprofit organizations. Several current and former professional riders will also take part in The Prologue, a more exclusive camp designed to generate additional fundraising.

The November event will also coincide with developments elsewhere in American cycling. RNRNYC Racing p/b R1, an elite club team launched last season, is expanding its roster for 2027 and will continue supporting former WorldTour rider Ide Schelling, although his role will shift toward gravel racing.

The Dutchman retired from professional road racing in 2025 after an 11-year career that included six seasons at WorldTour level with Bora-Hansgrohe and XDS Astana. He had a limited racing schedule with RNRNYC in 2026, including road and gravel appearances, and finished 10th at The Gralloch.

Schelling will remain associated with the organization as a brand ambassador while competing largely as an independent gravel rider.

“Ide will be racing a lot more by himself, but remains part of the bigger ecosystem, the RNR and L1 racing family. Maybe he'll do a couple of races with the team, but really he will focus on doing gravel events, which are mostly in Europe. Maybe doing Big Sugar and a couple more in the US,” Gil Lavi, co-founder of Rubber N' Road and RNRNYC Racing, told Cyclingnews.

The team takes its name from Rubber N' Road, a cycling apparel brand with a design studio and manufacturing operations in New York City. New Zealand rider Ethan Craine is among the additions for 2027. The 25-year-old joins after five seasons with Project Echelon Racing, during which he collected stage victories at the Green Mountain Stage Race, Salt Lake Criterium and Chicago Grit.

American rider Wiley Close, 22, also joins from the ENVE MOG Squad gravel team. He made his road racing debut in September and finished eighth on the queen stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race.

Dominican sprinter César Marte is another addition. He has achieved results in several US races since 2022, including the Tour of Somerville, Gateway Cup and Tour of America's Dairyland, as well as securing multiple stage victories at the Vuelta Independencia.

“Having Ethan [Craine] is huge. César Marte and Wiley Close are very talented racers, super young, super talented,” Lavi said.

RNRNYC expects to announce its complete roster in the coming weeks. Between 12 and 15 riders are expected to compete across a calendar centered on road racing, with selected gravel events also included.