Michael Leonard
Hometown
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Date of birth
26 March 2004
Language
English
Michael Leonard is excited for his first season with EF Education-EasyPost. The 21-year-old Canadian from Oakville, Ontario, wants to show what he can do in the hardest one-day classics and earn a spot to race his first grand tour. He is already going into his fourth season as a pro and brings WorldTour-proven power and experience beyond his years.
Our team’s attacking style and willingness to break from convention drew Michael to the squad. He’s been a fan of our team ever since he was a kid, when cycling first captured his imagination.
Michael’s own rise to the WorldTour was rapid. He started out competing in kids’ triathlons and got into bike racing at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, a velodrome built near his hometown for the 2015 Pan American Games that had an excellent youth program. Once he got going, Michael began racing on the road as well as the boards. He excelled in Canada’s junior ranks and was soon ready to take on international competition.
He moved to Italy and immersed himself in the local cycling culture. Learning the language and how to live abroad while racing every weekend was tough, but Michael’s natural talent soon shone. Strong junior results earned him his first WorldTour contract.
Michael's step up to the big leagues was a big one, but he managed it well, despite breaking his hip at the start of his second season. He has continued to make steady improvements and become a valuable teammate.
Michael is more than a helper, though. He is the reigning Canadian time trial champion. In 2024, he won a stage at the Tour de l’Avenir—under-23 racing’s Tour de France—and has since earned very promising results in tough, hilly WorldTour stage races.
He is determined to make the most of his talent. To do that, he is concentrating on the day-to-day work of getting faster. He will seize every chance he gets to go on the attack this year.
When he is at home at his European base in Andorra, Michael enjoys playing the piano and reading history books. He wants to write his own chapters of cycling history with EF Education-EasyPost.
What is your hidden talent?
Jazz piano.
What is your favorite song in your native language?
“Courage” by The Tragically Hip.
What is your favorite climb? What makes it special?
San Pellegrino in Alpe — it’s really beautiful in the fall and there’s a nice general store at the top.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
I’d love to go to the far north of Canada. It seems like a beautiful place.
What is your favorite word in your native language? What does it mean? What do you like about it?
Zamboni, which is the machine to prepare the ice for hockey. It’s just satisfying to say.
Think about your best teammate ever. What was the quality in them that you appreciated?
Michał Kwiatkowski — he’s incredibly organized and pushes everyone around him to be better.