Renewed contracts for Selam Amha Gerefiel, Maddie Le Roux, Jule Märkl and Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye as Continental team expected to support nine riders next year
Selam Gerefiel at Setmana Valenciana racing with Canyon-SRAM Generation(Image credit: Canyon-SRAM / brazodehierro)
Canyon-SRAM Generation will embark on their fourth season in the professional peloton and have confirmed that they will support nine riders at the Continental level in 2025, racing as Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, while renewing contracts with returning riders Selam Amha Gerefiel, Maddie Le Roux, Jule Märkl and Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye.
The team confirmed in a press release on Friday that they continue to "forge new pathways" for cyclists aiming to reach the highest levels by "identifying and developing riders from underrepresented countries while also welcoming talent globally".
"By helping bridge the gap between grassroots potential and elite competition, Canyon-SRAM Generation has redefined opportunities in professional women's cycling and continues fostering diversity and inclusion in the peloton," the press release stated.
Selam Amha Gerefiel, the reigning Ethiopian road race champion, joined the Canyon-SRAM Generation team at the start of this year, after spending three seasons with the World Cycling Centre (WCC) team managed by the UCI.
"Being a part of Canyon-SRAM Generation has been very important for me to have the support to keep working on my professional career. It was a challenging season, but I still learned a lot, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to stay with the team in 2025 and continue working on my development," she said.
"I particularly enjoyed our race at the Princess Anna Vas Tour in Poland. We had great teamwork, and seeing how much we improved from the beginning of the season was special. I owe a lot to the team and am determined to work hard in 2025. I dream of winning a race myself and seeing our team win a race next season."
Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, former Nigerian road race champion and gold medallist at the African Continental Championships in 2023, also joined the team at the start of this season but said she almost left the sport because there were limited racing opportunities.
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In 2024, she continued her success at the African Games held in Accra with two medal performances in the time trial and road race, while also representing her nation at the Olympic Games in Paris. With Canyon-SRAM Generation, she continued building experience and skills in some of the Pro Series, .1 and .2 one-day races and stage races on the international calendar.
"Before I joined Canyon-SRAM Generation, I was close to stopping with pro cycling because I was tired of training with a lack of racing opportunities. The team has greatly impacted my future by allowing me to become a professional cyclist, and this 2024 season was extremely valuable for me," she said.
"The team environment improved my skills and abilities more than I ever imagined. I used to feel intimidated being in the peloton during races. But my confidence has grown thanks to the mentorship from my coach and teammates. I also used to be afraid of climbing, but I have improved my skills with coaching, instruction and advice over the season.
"I'm particularly proud of my participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I'm also proud of my teammates. For example, Awen (Roberts) is especially smart, caring, and determined to give her best in every race. She brings me joy, especially during the days leading up to my trip home to Nigeria, where she supported me a lot."
Maddie Le Roux, from South Africa, and Jule Märkl, from Germany, are also set to stay with the team for another season. Both riders joined the team at the start of this year with Märkl, a promising rider coming straight from the junior ranks and Le Roux bringing the team several years of racing experience with the WCC Team.
"I found the step from the junior to the elite category was physically and mentally hard. Fortunately, I had good support from the team and learned many things about being a professional rider, my tactics, and every team member's role in contributing to the team's goals," Märkl said.
"Having the opportunity to do some races with the WorldTour riders helped my development, and we were always encouraged to have a courageous and active riding style. After racing many different races, I started understanding what kind of rider I am."
Le Roux said that while she has some additional experience from racing with the WCC Team, racing with Canyon-SRAM Generation has been valuable to her career development and learning about a professional team set-up, and improving work efficiency and communication skills within the peloton.
"Quite a lot of valuable "bricks" have been put into place that I hope I can build on going into this next season. I fully trust this team to help me become the best rider I can be," she said.
"Being away from home is never easy, especially with everything that has happened in my personal life this year. However, this team is special. My teammates always made me feel better when I felt a bit down; they took me for coffee and we enjoyed karaoke nights. The environment around this team is like one big family; we look out for each other, and as a rider, that made me feel like I belonged."
Additional signings for the Canyon-SRAM Generation roster will be announced at a later date.
Ese Upkeseraye with Jule Märk with Canyon-SRAM Generation (Image credit: Canyon-SRAM / brazodehierro)
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
