Talented Australian climber enters WorldTour peloton with EF Education-EasyPost
Cycling
Alastair Mackellar has become the latest addition to EF Education-EasyPost who are one of the last WorldTour teams to slowly unveil their 2025 transfers. The 22-year-old Australian became double national champion last year. In 2024, he won a stage at the Alpes Isere Tour and finished fourth in the Fleche Ardennaise.
"I’m thrilled," he said in the press release. "It’s a dream I’ve been fulfilling since I started riding as a junior. I spent my four years in Europe in the Under-23s, trying to work towards that, so to finally get there in my final year is not only a huge relief. It’s an honor. I’m super happy to have this opportunity and the trust of the team."
Mackellar doesn't turn professional with a stellar palmares and impressive reputation like some other riders (think of Pablo Torres, Niklas Behrens, ...), and thus mainly looks forward to learn the roots in his first season in WorldTour:
"This will be my first year as a new pro. I could put a lot of pressure on myself, but I think I really want to go in there with a little bit of a weight off my shoulders, train hard and be in the best shape I can physically and let things come as they come. There are going to be a lot of really big and special opportunities for me next year. When they come, I just want to be in the best shape I can and do my best. I think that's all I can ask of myself for the first year. I don't have to say I have to win a pro race."
EF Education-EasyPost founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters sees great potential in Alastair Mackellar. "Alastair has a powerful engine. In the Under-23s he showed he could break away after a tough, hilly day of racing and he’s worked hard on his time trial. He’s going to be a major asset for us in the mountain stage races. We think he can become the kind of rider who can compete in the finals of the Ardennes classics. We’re really looking forward to working with him as he makes his WorldTour debut."
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Another Aussie has entered the chat 🇦🇺 Welcome to the WorldTour stage, Alastair!
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) November 14, 2024
Get to know our newest squad member: https://t.co/6OnMx3aYpH pic.twitter.com/dW0XwF5GKF
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