Tyler Stites, the 2024 Tour of the Gila GC winner, has signed a two-year contract with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. He will transition from the US-based Project Echelon Racing to the Spanish ProTeam starting in the 2025 season.
“I am very excited to make the jump to the ProTeam level, something I have been working towards for a long time,” Stites told *Cyclingnews*. “I felt like I was ready to make this jump a few years ago after five seasons racing and developing on Aevolo under Mike Creed, but the big teams were not interested. I was lucky to end up racing for Project Echelon for the last three seasons, where I continued to develop and became a more well-rounded rider. Results in bigger European races were necessary for a professional team to notice me.”
European Opportunities
Stites highlighted the importance of Project Echelon Racing in his development, particularly their focus on providing European racing opportunities. “I am very thankful that Project Echelon made it a priority to get us plenty of European racing opportunities this year. I am looking forward to new experiences next year and going to races I’ve never done before.”
Stites’ performances against WorldTour talent at the US Pro Road Nationals and various European events brought him to the attention of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. The team noted his skills in breakaways and his speed in small groups.
“European cycling is raced at a higher level than in [North] America, but still many of the skills I learned in America apply to European racing as well. I am an all-rounder. I enjoy racing on any terrain but I have found the most success with reduced group sprints. I am looking forward to contributing to the team’s success,” Stites remarked.
Career Highlights
Stites has consistently performed well throughout his career. In his final year with Aevolo, he won the Mount Sequoyah stage and the mountains classification at the 2021 Joe Martin Stage Race. His first season with Project Echelon saw him win the GC at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, take two stages of the Tour of the Gila, and finish third overall at Joe Martin.
This year, Stites secured eight victories, including a win at Rhodes GP, two podiums at the Volta a Portugal, and three top 10s at the Tour of Rhodes. Domestically, he swept GC titles at Redlands and Tour of the Gila.
Stites’ strong performance at the US Pro Road Nationals, where he earned a silver medal in the time trial between Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), further cemented his reputation.
Looking Forward
Stites will be joining Spaniard Javier Ibáñez from the Caja Rural Alea club squad and Alex Molenaar from Illes Balears Arabay as part of a new trio of riders for Caja Rural-Seguros RGA in 2025 and 2026. The team is known for its balanced mix of global talent, with three South American riders contributing significantly to their UCI points tally this year.
Excited for the move, Project Echelon Racing team founder and director Eric Hill told *Cyclingnews*, “We are excited for Tyler and his opportunity to race a complete European calendar. Tyler has been a cornerstone of Project Echelon for the past three seasons. His dedication to the craft, attention to detail, and killer race instincts pushed this team to new levels and elevated the performance of everyone around him.”
Stites was originally set to compete at the Tour of Britain with Project Echelon Racing but will now race his final event with the team at El Tour de Tucson on 23rd November. Project Echelon Racing is one of four debutant UCI Continental teams at the Tour of Britain, which starts on 3rd September in Scotland.
