"It is hard to make the jump, but we are going to try": Ty Magner explains Modern Adventure's mission to revive American cycling at Paris-Roubaix

For many young bicycle racers growing up in the United States, the dream of racing in Europe feels completely out of reach. Over the years, the direct pathway for US riders to reach the top level of the sport has slowly disappeared as local domestic teams folded. However, this Sunday, a brand new squad is aiming to change that narrative completely. Making their debut at Paris-Roubaix, the Modern Adventure Pro Cycling is jumping straight into the deep end. Led by familiar faces, this project has a very clear and difficult mission: to give American riders a direct ticket to the biggest races in the world.

Even though the Modern Adventure team has only officially existed for four short months, they certainly do not look like beginners. According to team sports director Ty Magner, looking highly professional was a main priority from the very beginning.

“That was one of the first agreements we made to each other back in February 2025, when we met for the first time to set up the project,” Magner told WielerFlits. “'If we are going to do this, we are going to do it right. We cannot show up with lousy infrastructure and make fools of ourselves.'”

The six-year commitment from their main sponsor is absolutely crucial for the team's ultimate goal. Magner stresses that fixing the broken pathway for US cyclists will not happen overnight, and they need time to grow.

“Very important,” Magner noted about the long-term sponsorship. “This is just the beginning. We need time to make this project succeed. Our goal is clear: we want to give young Americans, or guys who have ridden for local teams in the United States, the chance to race in Europe at the highest level. Last year, all these guys we are now taking to Paris-Roubaix were still riding criteriums in Alabama. It is hard to make the jump, but we are going to try. Because we believe these guys have it in them.”

Magner admits that sticking to an all-American roster is the hardest way to run a cycling team in Europe. “We see that all those American teams eventually move away from the pure North American concept,” Magner explained. “It is so easy to hire Europeans who ride for results and points, because in Europe you have an abundance of riders who are already there. What is more difficult is to keep believing in the story and the project of an American team acting in Europe. And that is the plan with Modern Adventure.”

Bringing Americans across the Atlantic Ocean involves huge costs, complicated visa issues, and a massive culture shock for the young athletes. Magner expects it might take six or seven years for the system to run smoothly and feel comfortable. But the final goal is highly ambitious.

“Hopefully, at a certain point, we will get so far that young people say 'no' to the development teams of Lidl-Trek, EF Education-EasyPost, UAE Team Emirates XRG, or any other big team. Maybe American juniors will say: 'No, I want to go to Modern Adventure. They offer us the best chances and they understand us best.' As I said, that will take time. But we have that time, because we can think long-term with this project.”

Because the team is so young, it was a massive shock when race organizer ASO awarded them a wildcard invitation to race Paris-Roubaix this Sunday. They also received invites to the UAE Tour and the Volta a Catalunya earlier this year. Magner completely agrees that doing Roubaix in their very first year sounds crazy on paper.

“I completely agree,” Magner laughed. “When George informed us at the end of January that there was a chance we could participate, the reaction of everyone in the team was: 'No way, we shouldn't do that.' But after thinking about it for a week, that opinion started to change a bit and we wanted to go for it full on.”

For American cycling fans, Paris-Roubaix holds a mythical status, and the team wants to honor that history on Sunday. “If you grow up in our country, you don't know much about the races in Europe. But Paris-Roubaix is legendary,” Magner concluded. “We want to show that we are worthy of starting here. We have to constantly drill into the riders that they must race along and not be afraid. Then maybe a top 25 finish is possible for Ben Oliver or Ezra Caudell. That would be a dream.”