Visma-Lease a Bike have announced the signing of Unbound Gravel 100 winner Kylee Hanel on a stagiaire contract for two upcoming races in Brittany.
The 20-year-old American won both the elite and under-23 categories in Emporia, Kansas, back in May, beating Samantha Johnson by 2:31 in the 100-mile race.
Hanel has experience racing in Europe, having raced several Belgian kermesses last year. This year, she won the youth classification at the Tour of Gila Women, closing out the week with a win on the final stage in Pinos Altos. She's also the US under-23 time trial champion and leader of the gravel Life Time under-23 competition.
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Hanel, who hails from Oregon, will join Visma-Lease a Bike for this weekend's races, the Tout commence en Finistère and the Pointe du Raz.
"We are always looking for talented riders, and not only within the traditional road cycling world. Kylee caught our attention through her impressive performances," said Visma-Lease a Bike manager Rutger Tijssen.
"She has shown that she has a lot of potential, and we are curious to see how she can translate those qualities to the road. We see this as a great opportunity for her to gain experience with our team and for us to get to know her better as a rider."
Hanel has been racing with the US club team Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment as the youngest rider in the team, which also includes Lauren Stephens, winner of the Redlands Bicycle Classic and Tour of the Gila Women.
Back in August, Hanel said that she's learned a lot from racing alongside Stephens, who has been racing in the pro peloton in the US and Europe for well over a decade.
"I have learned so much from her. I've not only learned positioning, bike handling skills, and teamwork from her, but the most important thing I learned from her is humility," she said.
"She knows it's a blessing to be racing and is appreciative of the fact that she gets to go out and race. She doesn't look at the world like it owes her something, which I admire a lot about her."
It remains to be seen how Hanel will fare in her time with Visma-Lease a Bike, and whether the move will be made permanent beyond this stagiaireship. Later this month, she'll represent the USA at the Road World Championships in Canada, taking part in the under-23 time trial and road race for the first time.
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