"He’s probably one of the best American riders out there" - Artem Shmidt hopes to prove Axel Merckx's ambitions

Artem Shmidt is about to enter his second season with one of the world's best development structures, the Hagens Berman Axeon - Jayco. While the 19-year-old says it was mostly a year about learning, he's already managed to pick up several strong results along the way, including his first senior stage victory in Croatia's Istrian Spring Trophy.

"Not only is he a great rider and athlete, but he has a great personality. He’s probably one of the best American riders out there right now and we’ll continue the journey and development of cycling in the US together," Axel Merckx said about Shmidt at the time.

Shmidt has been one of the most impressive juniors between 2021 and 2022, having racked up a total of 7 wins at the international level, finishing off his junior years strongly at the World Championships in Wollongong with 5th place in road race and 6th place against the clock.

"Due to an all right season in '22, I was picked up by Axel Merckx and Hagens Berman Axeon. I was super excited to join one of the best development teams in the world, which has produced so many WorldTour riders. This year has been great. I’ve learned a lot of things from Axel, Koos and the riders as well. But just trying to learn as much as I can this season because the transition to U23 from Juniors is a big jump," he explains to Cyclingnews.