The UCI on Monday confirmed that Rally Cycling will compete in the Pro Continental ranks next year, jumping from Continental status to cycling's second division. The US team, which started in 2009 as Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast, will continue to race in the US while taking on an extended international schedule.
"Races such as the Tour of California, Tour of Utah, Colorado Classic and Tour of Alberta will be our main North American objectives in 2018,"Jonas Carney, the team's performance director, said in a press release. “Internationally, the move to Pro Conti opens up a lot of doors for us. It will allow us to pursue prestigious races around the globe.”
The jump to Pro Continental status will allow Rally to compete in WorldTour races without the UCI exception that allowed the team to compete in this year's Tour of California as a third-division program. Rally Cycling made history in 2017, taking two stage wins at the Tour of California as the first Continental team to earn WorldTour victories.
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Evan Huffman earned the two stage wins in California in 2017 as well as the overall win at the 2.1 Tour of Alberta. Teammate Rob Britton played a huge role in Huffman's California wins, then went on to seize victory at the 2.HC Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. Rally also topped the overall standings at the 2017 UCI America Tour.
"[This year] was a year for the record books within our program, and we couldn’t be more ready to move up a division," Carney said. “It grants us access to the world's biggest races, and we have already proven we can compete on a global level."
The move to cycling's second tier marks an evolution from a criterium-based program to one of the top stage-racing teams on the US domestic circuit. Now team management, directors and riders hope to continue the success on the next level.
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