In 2022, we rallied together and stuck to our goals. Magnus Cort’s stage win at the Tour de France and Rigoberto Urán’s Vuelta stage victory were sweet rewards. Stefan Bissegger became European time trial champion and won the TT at the UAE Tour. Other highlights were Mark Padun’s time trial win at Gran Camiño, Ben Healy’s and Merhawi Kudus’s national championship titles, Neilson Powless’s win at the Japan Cup, and Lachlan Morton’s inspiring rides in Colorado and to Ukraine.

In 2023, we’re going to go to the grand tours and greatest classics with lofty ambitions.

Richard Carapaz raised our aspirations. Richard has big goals and the motivation to match in 2023, and every single person in our organisation is excited to support him, because the Olympic champion and Giro winner races with grit and without fear. He dares to dream.

“Everyone understands that the expectations are a lot higher,” says EF Education-EasyPost CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “The standards are going to be a lot higher, because what we are striving for, the goals, are a lot higher. We’re going to take on the top teams in the world and try to win the biggest races in the world. You can feel it in everybody. There is a big change of spirit. It is game on.”

Our new signings Mikkel Honoré, Stefan de Bod, Jefferson Cepeda, Andrey Amador, and Andrea Piccolo bolster that spirit. Each of them brings strengths to our roster that add explosivity and depth. Andrea Piccolo is one of the most exciting talents of his generation. Andrea has been turning heads with his daring, attacking style and is raring to capture a big win in 2023. Andrey Amador is committed to Richard Carapaz’s ambitions. We will count on the strong Costa Rican to be there for his friend at decisive moments and will learn all that we can from the veteran. Jefferson Cepeda was clubmates with Richard Carapaz when he was a kid. He’s ready to fly up the Alps like he and Richie do when they are home in the mountains of Ecuador. Stefan de Bod is ready to fly, too. The powerful South African will be a key player for us in hilly classics and time trials. Mikkel Honoré will take on a leading role for our team in the classics as well, both in the hills and on the cobbles.

On our team, they will find freedom and support. At EF Education-EasyPost, we work together to help each other do extraordinary things.

Lachlan Morton inspired us last March when he rode 1,000 kilometres in one go and raised hundreds of thousands of euros for Ukrainian refugees. Our veteran captain Rigoberto Urán inspired us with his grand tour win at the Vuelta. Magnus Cort inspired us when he fought his way back to win that long uphill sprint at the Tour in Megeve. We believed in them.

We believe we can beat the best teams in the world in the biggest races in 2023. We’re going to do it our own way. After a stellar 2022 Tour de France and win at the Japan Cup, Neilson Powless wants to have a go on the cobbles again–this time in the Flemish classics. De Ronde winner Alberto Bettiol will be right there with him. Hugh Carthy finished 2022 strong and is ready for the mountains. Esteban Chaves is fit and healthy and happy—and we know what the Il Lombardia winner can do when he's on his game. Mark Padun wants to get his first grand tour stage win. We’re backing him. We’re backing Jonas Rutsch in the classics and we’re backing Stefan Bissegger in the time trials. We’re backing Lachlan, who will have more freedom than ever before, as he goes all-in on the alternative calendar. Who knows what else he has in store? We’re backing Michael Valgren, as he returns from injury with the EF Nippo Development team. We’re backing each other–every one will get his shot–because we believe that with grit, and our courageous, creative spirit we can outdo anyone on our day.

It’s a new era. We are EF Education-EasyPost, 30 riders, from 21 countries. Welcome to 2023. Game on.