EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters calls World Tour relegation battle "A really absurd way of racing"
Cycling
Despite doing enough to successfully retain their World Tour status, EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters has not pulled any punches when discussing the relegation scrap that ensued this year, calling it "a really absurd way of racing".
In an interview with Cycling Weekly, Vaughters discussed his frustrations at how the team had to go for points rather than wins, "You couldn’t totally sacrifice any one person to get the race win, because we needed all three guys to score" he lamented. "It’s a really absurd way of racing and super annoying for everyone in the organisation to race like that when you’re just trying to sort of stack up a bunch of guys in the top 20."
As a result of retaining their World Tour status, EF were able to attract 2019 Giro d'Italia winner and reigning Olympic champion, Richard Carapaz for the 2023 season. Vaughters was full of praise for the Ecuadorian "He’s a very versatile rider, he can win one-day races, he’s the Olympic champion, he can win stages at Grand Tours."
When pressed on Carapaz's potential Tour de France winning chances, Vaughters sounded confident "The route is very suited to his characteristics as a rider. He’s an aggressive rider, an attacking rider. Time trialling is a little bit of his Achilles heel, so it’s a Tour route that’s very suited to him." Before adding, "the route’s a nice gift from ASO. So, thank you.”
One thing Vaughters and EF Education-EasyPost will be continuing into next season is the extra races taken up when battling against relegation. “The idea will be to send riders to some of those races that we normally might not have done, but are suited to us,” he said, “like a Tour of Norway or a Milano-Torino."
Going into the next 3-year cycle though they won't be chasing World Tour points, “We’re not going to chase around races in Belgium and France that, quite frankly, we just never recruited for.” Vaughters is quick to point out. “It is what it is, but I will look forward to not racing like that."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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