'Get the grit, nonetheless be pals and race collectively' – Lauren Stephens, Emma Langley and U23 rider Kylee Hanel kind off-road partnership to pursue Life Time Grand Prix rewards

Gravel, mountain bike and highway races are all on the precedence checklist for Lauren Stephens, and the Texas native has discovered just a few contemporary variations to energise her 14th skilled season. She is going to captain her personal multi-rider highway workforce, Aegis by Leaders of Enchantment, and may have teammates for the primary time at Life Time Grand Prix races.

After a yr with Aegis Biking Basis as an off-road privateer and a composite group for highway races, Stephens and her husband, Mat Stephens, fashioned a real highway workforce for 2026, Aegis x LOE. They may debut the brand new kits this weekend on the two-day La Primavera in Lago Vista, Texas.

Final yr at 38, she went on a tear and gained GC titles at Tour of the Gila and Tour de Bloom, gained Levi’s Gran Fondo The Growler highway race and earned silver at USPro highway race nationals. Off-road success included a 3rd US Gravel nationwide title, second at Huge Sugar Gravel, third at SBT GRVL and fourth on GC at Gravel Burn stage race.

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“I imply, this has been my dream to start out a workforce. And beginning one thing from nothing, you are like, the place do I begin cracking the egg? We’re a highway workforce, and we’re supporting our athletes on gravel and mountain bike,” Stephens instructed Cyclingnews.

“So it was actually nice that I knew I had the gear for these ladies, and so I had one thing to attract in riders to the highway workforce. They’re free to go after their very own sponsors and trip no matter gear that they need or have the chance to, after which we’ll trip as a collective on the off-road aspect of issues.”

Commitments for highway gear got here from ENVE for 2 years, together with bikes and wheels, Shimano for drivetrain, Vittoria for tyres, and Capo for biking attire. She stated they’d sufficient setups for a complete of eight riders, however would start the season with herself and 6 others on the highway.

Core highway riders are from the US and embrace U23 athletes Kylee Hanel and Marien Lawson, the lone Canadian, together with Grace Arlandson, Jamie Chapman and Katey Krisky. Three improvement riders will likely be supported – Jocelyn Gamulcek, Kate Rhyne and the youngest at 18, Natalie Rehklau.

Probably the most notable member of the off-road squad will likely be 2022 USPro highway race champion Emma Langley, who competed with Stephens final yr in just a few races with Aegis together with Maryland Biking Traditional the place she completed third. She is going to use her personal Ventum bikes and DT Swiss/Kenda gear. Final yr, Langley rode to second place at Crusher within the Tushar and seventh at US Gravel Nationals. It’s her debut within the Grand Prix.

“On the off-road aspect, that is the place Emma Langley comes into issues. She has her personal private sponsors, however she’s a part of our off-road collective,” Stephens stated. “We will be on totally different gear, and we’ll present that we will nonetheless be pals and race collectively.”

Becoming a member of Stephens and Langley at Life Time Grand Prix races will likely be 20-year-old Hanel, who will compete within the under-23 programme. Ought to Hanel end within the U23 high 10 for ladies after the primary two LTGP races, she would earn free entries for the opposite 4 sequence occasions.

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“I’m a part of the Life Time Grand Prix, so performance-wise, that’s the place I am targeted for my private outcomes. After which on the roadside, I see this as a possibility for me to mentor riders and train them from throughout the peloton,” Stephens defined to Cyclingnews.

“Emma is racing the Grand Prix, and he or she desires to win as nicely. We have now Kylee going for the U23 at Sea Otter after which Unbound (100). It is a optimistic to have a workforce with you.

“Even for those who’re not on the market racing with workforce techniques [on gravel], you’ve got acquired this workforce round you – testing the programs beforehand, speaking concerning the programs, and simply having that group of individuals to hang around with and benefit from the expertise, relatively than exhibiting up and racing and driving dwelling [by yourself].”

Two years in the past, Stephens was invited to the Grand Prix’s invitation-only discipline, however withdrew earlier than the opening spherical to deal with shorter time trial efforts in pursuit of a spot on Group USA for the Paris Olympic Video games. Even with Pan-American gold within the highway race and silver within the ITT, she didn’t make the Olympic workforce.

Even with out an Olympic Video games berth, Stephens has represented Group USA 9 occasions at UCI Highway Worlds and 3 times at UCI Gravel Worlds, ending sixth within the off-road contest in 2023.

Final yr, Stephens raced as a one-woman present on gravel, retaining the US title in gravel and touchdown on the rostrum throughout races within the US and South Africa. The one blemish was disqualification at Leadville for taking diet exterior an authorized feed zone. She sees the partnership with Langley and Hanel because the increase wanted for morale and for higher use of assets to make a direct influence within the Grand Prix sequence.

She is going to make her season debut on gravel at The Mid South on March 13 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, then again to Texas to defend the Rattlesnake Gravel Grind title she has held for 2 years. April ramps up highway racing April 8-12 at Redlands Biking Traditional in southern California and heads north to start out the LTGP marketing campaign on April 16 at Sea Otter in Monterey.

The primary assist for the highway workforce comes from Aegis Biking Basis for a second season, a non-profit that raises consciousness and makes use of the game as a therapeutic software for victims of human trafficking. The Leaders of Enchantment supported Stephens’ highway group on the Tour of the Gila final yr and stepped up as co-title sponsor. Lee Whaley, previously with DNA Professional Biking, will function a workforce supervisor and in an advisory function.

“My objective with this workforce is to develop riders, instructing them on the highway the techniques and the savviness of biking, to get them over to Europe,” Stephens added. “After which we’ll race the gravel and mountain bike stuff to get the grit. Put these two issues collectively, and then you definitely get your Europe.”

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