Americans lead the Tour of California charge for EF Education First-Drapac

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Alex Howes (EF Education First-Drapac)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

EF Education First-Drapac will bring an American-heavy roster to the Amgen Tour of California, the only men's WorldTour race in the US. Lawson Craddock, Alex Howes, Logan Owen and Taylor Phinney head up the seven-rider roster that also includes Australian road captain Simon Clarke, British sprinter Dan McLay and Colombian climber Dani Martinez.

“California is a race we’ve had success in the last couple years," team director Tom Southam said in a statement released with the roster announcement. "It’s got a nice feeling about it for this team. It’s a home race for an American team. The riders themselves are always a little more motivated for it. When you’re working with a group that wants to go the extra bit, it makes it more interesting.”

“Racing back in the States is always something I’m highly motivated for," Craddock said. "I’m also excited to redeem myself after last year’s poor showing. After such a difficult 2017, I’m having more fun now than I ever have. I’m really looking forward to taking advantages of the opportunities that present themselves over the course of the week. This year’s route will reward aggressive racing, and I’m looking forward to contributing to that.”

“We’ve got a well-balanced team for this year’s race," Craddock said. "Dan will have a lot of support in the sprints and can be a deciding factor in the fastest finishes. We’ve also got a great crew to race aggressively and look for opportunities to animate the race. As far as the GC is concerned, a guy like Dani Martinez has shown that he is one of the top climbers in the peloton. I’m looking forward to ripping up Gibraltar with him and then giving it a good go in the TT.”

“It’s been a bit of a gap since my last race, and I’ve been training away so I’m ready to get racing,” McLay said. “I’m especially excited for California, as it will be my first race in the States and there will be plenty of racing opportunities for me and also plenty of opportunities to experience California and the US. It’s a competitive field — I think more or less every sprinter who isn’t at the Giro. It obviously won’t be easy but it’s always better to win against the big boys.”