29-year-old American climber moves from Cylance Pro Cycling
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climber Kristabel Doebel-Hickok raced for Tibco the past two seasons.(Image credit: Pat Malach)
Kristabel Doebel Hickok (Cylance Pro Cycling) - Emakumeen Bira 2016 Stage 4(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz consoles Cylance Pro Cycling team mate Krista Doebel-Hickok after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (SPY-Giant Ride) rode as aggressively in the final stage as she did for the entire stage race, and claimed third place in the circuit race ahead of a charging field.(Image credit: Wil Mattthews)
Coryn Rivera, Megan Jastrab and Valentina Scandolara on the podium(Image credit: Danny Munson)
The Rally Cycling Women's team has signed American climber Krista Doebel-Hickok in what will likely be the only 2019 addition to the US-based team's current roster.
Doebel-Hickok spent the past three seasons racing with Cylance Pro Cycling in Europe, where she competed in the Giro d'Italia, La Flèche Wallonne, Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Her palmares include a stage victory at the Tour de Feminin in 2015 and third on stage 2 of the 2017 Amgen Tour of California. Doebel-Hickok was fourth overall at the 2017 Amgen Women's Race behind Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans), Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare) and Arlenis Sierra (Astana).
The 29-year-old California native started her pro career with Tibco in 2014 before moving in 2016 to Cylance, where she raced mostly in Europe for the past three seasons. Returning to a team with a US-focused calendar for next season was a top priority.
"I wanted to be part of a US-based program in 2019," Doebel-Hickok said in a statement released by the team. "When speaking with teams, I considered the race calendar, level of support, team director, professionalism and roster. Rally Cycling checked every box off of my 2019 wish list like no other team could. It was a pretty simple and quick decision."
With the majority of the 2018 roster returning next season, team director Zach Bell had just one roster spot to fill, and he looked for an experienced rider.
"I look at each rider and ask if we can work together and possibly be more than the sum of our parts," Bell said. "I saw that opportunity with Krista. The team is starting the transition from strictly about development to an international competitor. Krista brings experience in Europe and abilities that will help us be the best team in North America."
Doebel-Hickok will bring significant experience to a young squad with big ambitions.
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"I excel in hard races where my racing knowledge, strength and unrelenting drive are my biggest assets," Doebel-Hickok said. "Joining Rally Cycling gives me the opportunity to pass on what I have learned while playing a big part in the team's success on a variety of courses across the US and Europe. I can't wait to get started."
Doebel-Hickok will join her new teammates in Oxnard, California, for training camp in January before heading to Australia for the first race of the season.
Aside from Doebel-Hickok, the only roster addition for 2019 will be Megan Jastrab as a development rider. The 16-year-old sprint phenom, who shot into the spotlight earlier this year when she won the field sprint for second place at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, raced with the team at the Colorado Classic last month.
