Tour de Beauce winner James Piccoli stays with Elevate-KHS for 2019
Montreal-native extends with American UCI Continental team as he sets to prove he belongs at the highest level of the sport
James Piccoli has extended with Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling following a breakout season in 2018. The Montreal-native became the first Canadian to win the Tour de Beauce since Svein Tuft in 2019, and he raced the WorldTour classics in Quebec City and Montreal where he held his own against the worlds best. Piccoli also finished top-10 in the GC at the Colorado Classic and Tour of the Gila.
Piccoli first raced with Elevated-KHS in 2017 when he joined the team for the Tour of Utah. He finished third on the stage to Snowbasin Resort and would race with the squad for the remainder of the year at the Colorado Classic and Tour of Alberta before signing on for 2018.
The 2018 season was a good one for Piccoli capped with his stage and overall victory at the Tour de Beauce. Following his successful summer, he was selected to represent Canada at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec et Montreal. In both races he finished with the peloton and in Quebec he was even on the attack in the closing lap. He finished the year travelin to New Zealand where he won two stages at the Tour of Southland.
Looking ahead to 2019, Piccoli is set on continuing to prove himself in big races. The season will get underway at the Tour of Taiwan where he will target the mountainous stages before transitioning into the North American stage race calendar.
“Winning the Tour de Beauce, and competing in two World Tour events in Montreal and Quebec, has shown that I can compete in the World Tour. I am eagerly looking forward to proving next year that I belong at the highest level of the sport,” Piccoli said.
Elevate-KHS also re-signed American Sam Bassetti who won the Winston-Salem Classic and Mexican José Alfredo Rodríguez who took a stage win at the Joe Martin Stage Race. As Piccoli demonstrated at the Tour de Beauce he is capable of winning from the break on hard days in the saddle but also going for the GC with strong time trialing and climbing skills.
“James has taken a step up this year and is embracing a more aggressive racing style which enabled his stage win and overall victory in the Tour de Beauce. We expect him to be aggressive and amongst the best all year,” said Elevate team co-owner John McAllister.
