Jefferson Alexander Cepeda joins EF Education-EasyPost

Alexander began riding as a child in his hometown of El Playón de San Francisco, Ecuador. Situated in the mountains near the Colombian border, it was perhaps inevitable that he would grow up to be a climber. He got his start racing as a 13-year-old and just three years later, won his first race.

“My favorite cycling memory is the first race that I won. It was La Clásica Tulcán in 2014. That win was really important to me.”

The 24-year-old brings a wealth of climbing experience and recent results to the team. He was the best young rider and 4th overall at the Tour of the Alps in 2021. He went on last season to win the Ecuadorian road race national championship. At Le Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc, Alexander won stage two which featured a summit finish on the Col du Galibier, as well as the general classification win and the points jersey. Earlier this season, Alexander placed second overall at the Tour of Sicily and also earned the title of best young rider.

“I felt really, really excited to be on the podium with some of the biggest riders in the sport,” Alexander said about his performance at the Tour of Sicily.

“He’s a great climber, great talent, and has shown potential for a great future,” says EF Education-EasyPost CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “We’re looking forward to developing his talent further.”

Joining EF Education-EasyPost marks Alexander’s debut in the WorldTour, but he is not at all apprehensive about taking the step up.

“I’m pretty calm about next year being my first full season in the WorldTour. I’ve raced on professional teams and have learned a lot. I’m ready for these high level races and to help the team as much as I can.”

With his base in Andorra during the racing season, Alexander spends most of the year far from his friends and family in Ecuador, which is why he appreciates having a fellow Ecuadorian on the team.

“It’s really nice to be on the team with other Ecuadorians. It’s really nice for us to have each other and we help each other. It’s like a little piece of home. I know Jonathan Caicedo really well. We ride together and we know each other really well.”

Alexander is looking forward to kicking off the 2023 season with his new team.

“It’s quite a team. They’ve got some really good riders and it’s really good there. The team is really well prepared for the races they do and the riders give it their all to get really good results.”

We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you, Alexander! Welcome!