H&R Block Pro Cycling confirm 2017 roster

Vancouver-based team adds seven new riders

Philippe Tremblay December 2, 2016

H&R Block Pro Cycling have announced their 2017 roster adding seven new riders to go along with four returning athletes. The UCI continental team is based in Vancouver and was launched in 2015 by the M1 Project which formed in the summer of 2015 striving to contribute to the development of cycling in Canada at a number of levels.

“Selection for the team is never easy,” said team owner, Mark Ernsting. “There are more and more qualified riders now in Canada to chose from. This is very positive to see as the sport continues to grow.”

As a development team, H&R Block has filled out its roster with riders who they believe have the potential to progress to the next level in cycling. The team strives to give young riders a platform to perform in some of the big UCI races in North America while contributing to the team’s overall goals.

New to the team in 2017 are four riders who will be 19-years-old in 2017 meaning they will be first-year under-23 riders. Matt Staples, Quinton Disera, Jean-Denis Thibault and Oliver Evans have all shown promise as juniors being given now the opportunity to continue their development at the UCI continental level. Also new to the team are Marc-Antoine Nadon, Alexis Cartier and Conor O’Brien.

Disera won Stage 6 of the 2016 Tour de l’Abitibi and brings his talent from mountain biking onto the road where he will be given to opportunity to continue his development. Thibault finished 10th overall in the 2016 Tour de l’Abitibi and is a rider that excels in the mountains. Staples represented Canada at the junior road world championships. Cartier finished second on Stage 2 of the Tour of Alberta while Evans showed promise in big stage races in the Pacific Northwest where he attained top three places against elite racers as a junior.

Nadon transitions from mountain biking where he represented Canada on the world stage turning his attention full-time to the road in 2017. O’Brien is a veteran at 24 for the young team and will be counted on as a leader.

Returning riders are U23 Canadia cyclocross champion Peter Disera, Travis Samuel, Jure Rupnik and Chris Prendergast.