Alexis has over a decade of professional racing to her name. A classics specialist, she won Drentse Acht van Westerveld and has reached the podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and Ronde van Drenthe.

For Alexis, deciding to sign with EF Education-Oatly had a lot to do with the existing roster and the team’s supportive environment.

“I’ve been following the team and there’s some generational talent on the squad. It’s very inspiring. I can’t wait to race alongside Cédrine and Noemi. I have personal ambitions but I really want to be part of a team that lifts each other up and supports each other and helps each other reach their goals. I really want to help these girls reach their goals because they’re super talented. It’s been pretty cool to watch. I can’t wait to be there, dying a thousand deaths for my new teammates,” she laughed.

The American’s 2025 season was cut short by a crash last month at the Baloise Ladies Tour where she sustained multiple fractures and a collapsed lung. Fortunately, Alexis is healing well and, despite the severity of her injuries, her enthusiasm for racing hasn’t wavered.

“All my fractures are healing pretty well and my mobility is getting a lot better,” Alexis said. “I collapsed my lung. It was really bad. The day that I was discharged from the hospital was the day that I signed my contract with EF Education-Oatly. That was a wild experience. Mentally, I needed it at the moment. It was like, ‘I have to get better because I have this thing to look forward to.’ Joining this team is the best motivation for my recovery. Honestly, it has never crossed my mind that I don’t want to race again. I still have the opportunity to get back to WorldTour level racing and accomplish what I’ve set out to do pretty much my entire life.”

Mentally and physically worn out after the 2021 season, Alexis took a break from European road racing and spent the next three years racing criteriums in the United States. But she concluded she wasn’t ready to let go of her unfulfilled goals on the road and dedicated herself to returning to a team with a full European racing calendar.

“I was really burned out when I left the WorldTour, so I stepped back to just find myself again. But last year I decided that I wanted to come back and I wanted to strive for that place in the peloton that I know I’m capable of holding. Being older and having that experience, I want to give back to the younger riders coming up. My motivation to come back has two parts: to reach the level that I know I’m capable of and also to pass on everything that I’ve learned over the course of my career. My time is limited and I want to make sure that with all the lessons I’ve learned and the mistakes that I’ve made, I can teach the younger generation to hopefully guide them,” Alexis said.

Esra Tromp, general manager of EF Education-Oatly, said Alexis’s atypical path to the team appealed to her.

“Alexis is a huge asset to our squad,” Esra said. “She has years and years of racing experience at the top level so she’s very intuitive with strategy and tactics, which makes her an ideal road captain. But it’s her drive to return to a full-time European racing program that deeply impressed me. To voluntarily step away from the WorldTour in her 20s, spend a few years gaining a bit of life perspective, and then to be able to return to WorldTour racing isn’t something most people could accomplish. The combination of her racing experience and her life experience make her a natural mentor to some of our younger riders. Alexis is a true racer at heart.”

Alexis is well aware that just because she’s returning to Europe, it doesn’t mean that she will rest on her laurels.

“It’s not lost on me that it’s going to be a very hard road to be at the pointy end of the race and competitive at the WorldTour level. I know it’s going to take some time but just having the opportunity to be there, giving my best in every race, and being a super supportive teammate to all these talented riders on the squad is incredibly exciting,” she said.

Of course, Alexis has her eye on a win in 2026, but that’s not her only goal.

“Obviously, you never know how you’re going to feel when you’re out there but if I am in a race and I’m on a day, I would love to have the opportunity to get a result,” Alexis said. “For me though, the biggest thing is building relationships with my teammates, earning their trust, and showing them that they can rely on me to get the job done because in the long term, you can’t win without a team. You can’t be part of a team unless your teammates trust you. That’s my biggest goal for next year.”

We can’t wait to help you reach for your goals, Alexis. Welcome!