The 24th season for the US Continental team Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling team is in a precarious situation. Team Director Danny van Haute, who has nurtured the US-based Continental programme since it began in 1999, announced in a letter that the current title sponsorship with Wildlife Generation would not be renewed. Van Haute said he was searching for a replacement to continue the team for 2023.
“I would like to thank Wildlife Generation for the support over the past four seasons,” said Danny van Haute, owner of the organization Team Redlands that operates the team. “We have several projects in the works for 2023 but nothing to announce yet.”
Van Haute has notified all current riders from the 2022 roster but has already lost one of the most successful riders of the season Scott McGill. The Volta a Portugal points classification winner will step up to the ProTeam ranks with Human Powered Health team next year on a two-year contract.
The team gained notoriety in US road racing from its beginnings as Jelly Belly Cycling Team, supported for 19 years by the candy company. In 2019, Wildlife Generation stepped in as title sponsor, using the cycling team in efforts to promote wildlife advocacy and conservation of habitat and healthy ecosystems
“The global pandemic shifted professional cycling’s calendar immensely, and many races are only now coming back. Very proud of all the athletes and staff over the last 23 years,” stated Van Haute, who stated he would entertain all inquiries immediately.
“Special thanks to Matty Rice who has been a rider and DS of the team. Team Redlands looks forward to getting back out there and pinning on numbers wherever bicycles are raced!”
Throughout its 23-year run, the team has achieved noteworthy results, including national championship titles a host of riders - U.S. National Champions Jonas Carney and Fred Rodriguez, Mexican National Champions Ulises Castillo Soto and Luis Lemus Dávila, Romania National Champion Serghei Tvetcov, Canadian National Champion Will Routley, and Turkey National Champion Ahmet Örken.
Notable alumni include Lachlan Morton, Gavin Mannion, Kiel Reijnen, Matteo Jorgenson, Johnny Clarke, Andrew Bajadali, Taylor Shelden, Noah Granigan and McGill.
This season the team had two stage wins at the Joe Martin Stage race, by Granigan and Clarke, and two stage wins at Volta a Portugal, both by McGill, who also won the final race of the season, Bucks County Classic.
