EF launches search for strategic partner in bid to become world’s best cycling team

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Additional investment builds on EF’s existing commitment and will go towards building Tour de France Femmes winning squad and long-term talent development on men’s and U23 squads

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EF (Education First) is launching an unprecedented and unique opportunity, opening the first naming rights for EF Pro Cycling to an additional partner ready to shape the next era of professional cycling together with EF.

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EF will remain the team’s owner and long-term anchor partner at an unchanged level of investment. The opening of a title partner position is designed to add resources on top of EF’s existing commitment, enabling the team to compete with the largest budgets in the sport and accelerate its ambitions. This opportunity gives a partner the chance to help build the team of the future alongside EF, while gaining visibility in front of millions of fans worldwide.

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EF’s long-term vision is focused on three clear outcomes:

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“It’s rare in professional sport, and nearly unheard of in cycling, for an owner and anchor partner to commit long-term at EF’s current level and still invite an additional title partner to invest purely to make the team stronger,” says team CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “We owe a great deal to EF. They recognize the incredible opportunity we have to keep building something truly special.”

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Founded in 2003 on the belief that fans deserved a team they could trust, the team has won monuments, Olympic medals, world championships, and a grand tour while also broadening the horizons of the sport with victories at gravel events like Unbound. EF acquired the team in 2017, recognizing the parallels between cycling’s global spirit and the company’s mission of opening the world through education and cultural exchange.

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“Our sport has changed dramatically over the past two decades,” says Vaughters. “WorldTour budgets have risen at an unprecedented pace, and we see this as an opportunity to partner with a brand that shares our vision of winning at the highest level while staying true to who we are.”

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The team will keep building around key riders such as Ben Healy, Magdeleine Vallieres, Kristen Faulkner, Richard Carapaz and Neilson Powless – who have all signed long-term contract extensions with the team – while also developing the exciting young talents already proving themselves on the world stage.

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“This is a unique opportunity for an organization to partner with a global team and organization such as EF. Together, we can build a team that extends far beyond traditional sponsorship, creating lasting value and impact for years to come,” says EF Education First Global Chief of Staff and EF Pro Cycling President Maria Norrman.

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On-bike success has always been the foundation of EF Pro Cycling, complemented by one of the strongest and most engaged digital platforms in professional cycling. Since 2017, the team has consistently ranked among the top teams in the sport for social media impressions and engagement, while delivering one of the strongest returns on investment for a title partner across professional sports, according to Nielsen Analytics.