Neilson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman) was a busy man in 2016. In a single season, the 20-year-old mountain-biker-turned-roadie established himself as a top rider in both the US and the international U23 peloton, winning national calendar races and California's best young rider jersey in the States, then soloing to the queen stage win at the Tour de l'Avenir in France later in the year.
Before the 2016 season, most of the international cycling world knew little about Powless, who won't turn 21 until September, but the Northern Californian's rising star has actually been ascending for some time. Although 2016 saw Powless take control of the spotlight, he'd already been winning races for a decade.
An early start, a first win
Both of Powless' Parents were triathletes, and competition was an early part of his lifestyle growing up in Roseville, California. His first official USA Cycling result came in 2007. Then-10-year-old Neilson beat two other riders to claim victory in the junior 10-12 category at the Nevada City Bicycle Classic, a race he would win three more times as he aged through the junior ranks.
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Powless didn't follow fellow Nevada City winner Greg Lemond's direct route to road racing success, however. He raced mostly mountain bikes with a few road events mixed in as he competed through his teens, and he briefly got into triathlon, where he also excelled. Mountain biking was his main focus, however, and he was a top rider junior on the US circuit, finding success in races including Bonelli Park, Sea Otter and nationals, and representing the US in Europe.
He introduced stage racing into his 2014 road program and started the season in February at the Valley of the Sun stage race in Arizona. He finished second overall in the junior race, and USA Cycling noticed. The USA Cycling development Program invited Powless to compete in the junior Paris-Roubaix race, where his introduction to European road racing was harsh.
"I showed some promise and USA Cycling brought me to Europe and put me in Paris-Roubaix and it was a bit of a shock," Powless admitted, describing how he crashed before the first cobblestone section. "It was a rough experience."
Finding a rough road in Europe
Putting it all together in 2016
More European racing in 2017
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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