'He’s a real diamond in the rough' - Leo Hayter returns to peloton with George Hincapie's new team as Modern Adventure Pro Cycling reveal full roster

Britain's Leo Hayter will be among the 20-rider roster for Modern Adventure Pro Cycling in 2026, co-founders George and Rich Hincapie disclosed today, providing more substance to the team's debut as a UCI ProTeam.

There are 12 US riders who will wear the new burgundy-and-gold colours next season, led by veterans Robin Carpenter, Scott McGill and Tyler Stites. Eighteen of the 20 riders are under contract with two-year deals, with Hayter signed for 2026 only.

"I think we are a good programme for him on his way back. [There's] no pressure; he can take his time finding that talent back. He’s a real diamond in the rough," Rich Hincapie, general manager of the new team, told Cyclingnews Thursday.

"George and I are focusing on the culture and family atmosphere first; results will come later. Since we have a minimum six-year commitment [for the team], we have time to build it right."

Hayter moved to the WorldTour in 2022 with three seasons at Ineos Grenadiers, a year after showing tremendous success at Hagens Berman Axeon with the GC win in the under-23 Giro d'Italia. He stepped away from Ineos Grenadiers in August 2024, revealing a five-year battle with depression, anxiety and disordered eating, and only tested himself in a few races last year at a Continental squad, Voster ATS Team.

Another rider to move to the new US team from a European squad is Stites, who won the Tour of Gila overall in 2024 and was runner-up twice at Tour de Beauce. A former rider for Project Echelon Racing, he is expected to be confirmed soon to complete the roster, pending release from his contract at Caja Rural-Seguros RGA that went through 2026.

Expected to be a co-leader of the team, Carpenter has competed the bulk of his 14 pro years at the Continental and ProTeam levels with Hincapie Sportswear and Human Powered Health (previously Rally Cycling), where he raced several years alongside Ty Magner, one of team directors at his new team. The last three seasons he has competed in one-day US races for L39ION of Los Angeles, with podiums at signature races like Athens Twilight Criterium, Greenville Cycling Classic and Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic.

"I am really excited and intrigued by the idea of starting a team from scratch, and excited to play a small part in that. On top of that, we have guys like Joey [Rosskopf], Ty [Magner], and Alex [Howes] at the helm as DS's; there's a ton of knowledge there coming from high-quality folks who just happen to also be good friends of mine," Carpenter told Cyclingnews.

"For me personally stepping back into UCI road racing after three years of crits is going to be a challenge but one I am motivated to work hard for."

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A total of four riders join from Project Echelon Racing, led by McGill, who has earned six podiums, including two wins at Volta a Portugal. Sam Boardman, who won the KOM title at the Tour of Rhodes last year; Kieran Haug, 2025 Tour of the Gila GC winner; and Hugo Scala Jr, who was sixth overall at Tour de Beauce, follow McGill to the new US team.

Reigning USPro men's U23 time trial champion Cole Kessler, 22, moves from Lidl-Trek Future Racing and 2024 US men's U23 time trial silver medalist Brody McDonald (Golden State Blazers) bring speed to the squad.

Additional young talent will come from 19-year-old Ezra Caudell (Team California), 23-year-old Sean Christian (Team Skyline), dual road race and ITT U23 Colombian winner Samuel Florez, 22-year-old Ian López de san Roman (EF Eduction-Aevolo), and 18-year-old Harry Lasker (EF Education-ONTO).

A wealth of international talent comes from a pair of South African riders, Stefan De Bod (Terengganu Cycling) and Byron Munton (Feirense-Beeceler) and two New Zealander riders, national road race champion Paul Wright (Factor Racing) and Ben Oliver (MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project), who won a stage at Tour de Beauce and grabbed eight podiums in 10 races at Tour of America's Dairyland for that GC title.

Mark Stewart and Lucas Towers are two more riders from Great Britain. Stewart moves from ProTeam Solution Tech-Vini Fantini, going fourth overall at Tour of Japan and winning Tour of Kumano. Towers, a 21-year-old, rode three seasons with Caja Rural-Alea, winning four hilly one-day races in Spain. Canadian Riley Pickrell rode five years at Israel-Premier Tech, winning stages at Sibiu Cycling Tour and Tour de l'Avenir.

"To see Modern Adventure Pro Cycling come to life is deeply meaningful. It's the culmination of years of George and I dreaming about creating a team that embodies the spirit of American cycling - bold, creative and united by purpose," Rich Hincapie said.

The first team gathering will be early December in Greenville, South Carolina, where the co-founders are based with Hincapie Sportswear and Hincapie Events, for bike fits and rider meetings with the majority of the staff, including team directors Howes, Magner, and Rosskopf. Winter training camp will take place January 10-22, 2026, in Girona, Spain.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling is one of two US programmes, the other being Team Novo Nordisk, to have submitted the essential paperwork for final approval, with the confirmed list of teams published by the UCI on December 10, 2025. Novo Nordisk also confirmed 20 riders, the minimum for a ProTeam, for its 17th consecutive season as a UCI Professional Continental or ProTeam.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling 2026 roster

• Sam Boardman (USA)
• Robin Carpenter (USA)
• Ezra Caudell (USA)
• Sean Christian (USA)
• Stefan De Bod (RSA)
• Samuel Florez (COL)
• Kieran Haug (USA)
• Leo Hayter (GBR)
• Cole Kessler (USA)
• Harry Lasker (USA)
• Ian López (USA)
• Brody Mcdonald (USA)
• Scott McGill (USA)
• Byron Munton (RSA)
• Ben Oliver (NZL)
• Riley Pickrell (CAN)
• Hugo Scala (USA)
• Mark Stewart (GBR)
• Lucas Towers (GBR)
• Paul Wright (NZL)
• Tyler Stites (USA), pending release from Caja Rural