“Joining EF feels like coming home.”
Neilson burst onto the United States road racing scene as a 19-year-old and found instant success, finishing ninth overall at the 2016 Amgen Tour of California and winning a stage at the Tour de l’Avenir. Those results shot him to the WorldTour where his adaptability accelerated his learning curve. The 23-year-old spent his rookie seasons (2018-2019) racing for Lotto-Jumbo, joining EF Education First Pro Cycling in 2020.
Neilson’s sporting family laid the foundation for his future professional success. His mom ran the marathon in the 1992 Olympics. His dad was in the Air Force and raced Ironmans, winning an award for being the top Ironman finisher who was also in the military. Family time in the Powless household was spent outdoors: swimming in the lake, running, and riding bikes on the trails in Northern California.
Team boss Jonathan Vaughters calls Neilson, along with Dani Martínez and Sergio Higuita, “the next phase of our stage-race teams” and our hope for that long-awaited Tour de France overall victory.
Q&A with Neilson
The Crown
Amsterdam
nearing the end of my university years
Seoul
Nevada City Classic
