Alex Cataford joins UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team for 2017
23-year-old moves up to pro continental level after two season at Silber Pro Cycling
Ottawa native Alex Cataford will be joining the American based UCI professional continental squad UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling for the 2017 season. Cataford, who excels in time trials, enjoyed a breakthrough 2016 season with second place overall and on a stage at the Tour of the Gila and fifth overall, the top Canadian, at the 2016 Tour of Alberta. He was also second in the Canadian national time trial behind Ryan Roth.
RELATED: Deep group of 17 riders headline Team Canada for Doha world championships
In early 2014, Cataford suffered a potentially career altering injury in a training accident in Tuscon, Arizona suffering a concussion, a broken C6 vertebra, a shattered jaw and six broken teeth. Cataford had raced for the Garneau-Quebecor squad in 2013 winning the under-23 national time trial title and was set to start the 2014 season with Amore & Vita-Selle SMP when he was hit by a car in training. Cataford made his return to racing in 2015 with Silber Pro Cycling and spent the next two seasons developing with the squad.
RELATED: Ryder Hesjedal is proud of his career, unsure what challenges await in retirement
As a proven force in the time trials, Cataford will offer UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling depth in their roster which the team hopes will excel in week long stage races in 2017. The Tour of the Gila, the Tour of California and the Tour of Utah will be the teams main objectives on the 2017 calendar.
“The riders we have selected are a mix of young and experienced,” explained team general manager Mike Tamayo. “Youthful enthusiasm is very important for us, it drives us to give it our all in every race. The older riders serve the purpose of bringing real world racing experience to the table. This will be critical in the multi-day racing, where every effort and every move needs to be thought out.”
Also joining the team for next season is WorldTour veteran Greg Herderson of New Zealand who comes from Lotto-Soudal where he has been an integral part of German sprinter Andre Greipel’s lead out.
Travis McCabe will also join the squad after a season with Holowesko-Citadel. The American has been one of the most consistent riders on the U.S. domestic circuit with a win at this years Tour of Utah.
“We’ve had great successes over the last few years and that has come from focusing on what we’re good at,” continued Tamayo. “As we now approach the stage racing world, we’ll look to do the same. We’re driving hard to be the strongest team in the United States and I’m certain that the group of athletes that we have assembled can achieve that.”
