The US Continental squad Wildlife Generation announced its riders for the 2021 season, with four returning riders and six newcomers including veterans Jonny Clarke and Serghei Tvetcov.
The team, formerly sponsored by Jelly Belly for 19 years, picked up the environmental non-profit as a title sponsor for the 2019 season on a three-year deal, and had success in 2019, winning a stage in the Tour de Hokkaido in Japan and racing Tour of Utah and the Japan Cup. 2021 will be the last year on the contract with Wildlife Generation.
The coronavirus pandemic, however, meant the team's 2020 season was greatly curtailed, with the Tour de Langkawi and Malaysian International Classic their only events this year.
Clarke and Tvetcov bring ample experience to the young squad: Clarke, 35, raced with Van Haute on the 2009 Jelly Belly team but moved to UnitedHealthcare in 2010 where he stayed as a road captain and key support rider for nine years. When that team ended, Clarke raced with Floyd's Pro Cycling, winning a stage in the Tour de Taiwan before it too ended. This year, Clarke had an agreement with Team Skyline, although the squad never raced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tvetcov, 31, returns to Van Haute's team after a year with the Malaysian squad Team Sapura.
He previously raced with Jelly Belly in 2013, 2014 and 2017, landing on the final podium of the USA Pro Challenge in 2014. In 2017, his podium finishes in the Colorado Classic, Tour of Utah and Tour of the Gila helped him to top the final Americas Tour standings. In between the two stints, Tvetcov raced with Androni Giocattoli and finished the Giro d'Italia in 2015.
The team retains 20-year-old Ryan Jastrab, brother of Junior world champion Megan Jastrab, 24-year-old Kent Ross, 22-year-old Alex Hoehn and 24-year-old Cormac McGeough.
Other new additions include Ulises Castillo (Elevate), Noah Granigan and Spencer Petrov from the now-defunct Hincapie team, and Jason Saltzman, who raced this year with the Austrian team Sportland Niederösterreich.
2021 Wildlife Generation Team
- Ryan Jastrab
- Kent Ross
- Cormac McGeough
- Alex Hoehn
- Serghei Tvetkov
- Johnny Clarke
- Jason Saltzman
- Noah Granigan
- Ulises Castillo
- Spencer Petrov
