OFFICIAL: Three-time American U23 national champion earns WorldTour promotion after EF fend off rival interest

EF Education-EasyPost have confirmed that three-time American under-23 national champion Gavin Hlady will join their WorldTour squad in 2027, a year after rival American outfit Modern Adventure Pro Cycling made an offer for his services. The 23-year-old remained with EF Education-Aevolo despite the interest from elsewhere, and has now earned promotion following a string of strong performances in Europe during 2026.

Riding for Aevolo in 2024, Hlady completed a national championship double in Charleston, West Virginia, attacking clear to win the under-23 criterium title before claiming the road race crown two days later, again with a late move.

He earned a stagiaire opportunity with EF Education-EasyPost later that season, before Aevolo became the American WorldTour team's official development setup in 2025. Hlady subsequently retained his national under-23 road race title and finished third in the elite championship, improving on his sixth place against the country's senior riders the previous year.

By the end of 2025, Modern Adventure, the newly established American ProTeam preparing for its debut season, had made Hlady an offer. EF Education-Aevolo manager Michael Creed subsequently confirmed that the team's senior management had been reluctant to lose the American prospect.

Hlady stayed with EF Education-Aevolo for 2026 and had secured his WorldTour promotion by the spring, although the move was only announced this week.

"The goal this year was to have a good spring, and after that the team came to me with an offer," Hlady explained in EF's announcement. "It was nice to sign early, but I think that my top tens in Europe really helped my case. If you lined up all the teams in the men's WorldTour, I'd choose EF Education-EasyPost every time," the Californian added.

Those spring performances included sixth overall at the seven-stage Tour de Bretagne, 59 seconds behind winner Aubin Sparfel, and tenth at the Fleche du Sud. Hlady also finished runner-up on stage three of the Alpes Isere Tour and third at the US elite criterium championship, while appearances with EF's WorldTour squad at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic and Vuelta a Burgos gave him further experience working for established teammates.

EF head of scouting Sebastian Langeveld singled out Hlady's performance in Bretagne, where positioning and race craft are particularly important. "If you can perform there, it's a good sign for the future," he said.

As for where Hlady might eventually specialise, Langeveld is keeping an open mind. "He can climb, and he might even go in the direction of the classics, but really, it's about taking our time with the young riders and not rushing them."

Hlady will discuss his 2027 programme at EF's November training camp, with the team yet to determine which races will form the starting point of his first full WorldTour season.