Neilson Powless facts for kids
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Powless in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Neilson Powless | ||
| Born | September 3, 1996 Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Weight | 67kg | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | EF Education–EasyPost | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Puncheur, Classics specialist | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Neilson Powless, born on September 3, 1996, is an American professional road racing cyclist. He is part of the Oneida Nation and rides for the EF Education–EasyPost team. Neilson made history as the first US Native American to race in the famous Tour de France.
Contents
Neilson Powless's Cycling Journey
Starting as a Pro: 2018–2021
Neilson Powless became a professional cyclist in 2018 with the LottoNL–Jumbo team. He took part in his first big multi-day race, called a Grand Tour, at the 2019 Vuelta a España. In this race, he helped his teammate Primož Roglič win the overall title.
The next year, Neilson joined the EF Pro Cycling team. He was chosen to race in the 2020 Tour de France, one of the biggest cycling events. He supported his team leader, Rigoberto Urán, who was aiming for the overall win. During this Tour, Neilson was part of a group of riders who broke away from the main pack and finished in the top five for that stage.
After his strong first Tour de France, Powless was again picked for the EF Team in the 2021 Tour de France. Earlier that year, he finished 5th in the 2021 UAE Tour. In July, he won the 2021 Clásica de San Sebastián race, becoming only the second American to do so. Later in the season, he placed 5th at the UCI World Championships.
Recent Successes: 2022–Present
In the 2022 Tour de Suisse race, Neilson was very active. He joined several breakaways and stayed with the top riders throughout the race. He ended up finishing in 4th place overall.
He also competed in the 2022 Tour de France. On stage 5, which had many tough cobbled sections, he joined a breakaway group that managed to stay ahead until the end. The race leader, Wout van Aert, had some crashes, which gave Neilson a chance to move up. Neilson got to 2nd place overall, just 13 seconds behind the leader. This was the closest an American rider had been to wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France since 2018. He later dropped back but continued to be a strong rider, even attacking on the famous Alpe d'Huez climb. He finished the Tour in 12th place overall, which was the best result for his team.
Neilson finished his 2022 season with a solo win at the Japan Cup race.
The 2023 season started well for Powless. He won the 2023 Étoile de Bessèges stage race and the 2023 Grand Prix La Marseillaise one-day race. He also achieved several top 10 finishes in big spring races like the 2023 Tour of Flanders, 2023 Dwars door Vlaanderen, 2023 Paris–Nice, and 2023 Milan–San Remo.
He was chosen again for the 2023 Tour de France. In this race, he wore the polka-dot jersey (for the best climber) for most of the first thirteen stages. He eventually lost the lead but finished fourth in the mountains competition.
Neilson's Family Life
Neilson's family is also involved in sports. His mother, Jen Allred, ran the marathon for Guam in the 1992 Summer Olympics. His older sister, Shayna Powless, is also a professional racing cyclist. Neilson married Frances Powless in 2020, and they welcomed their first child in 2023.
Key Achievements
Neilson Powless has achieved many great results in his career. Here are some of his major wins and top finishes:
- 2016
- Won the overall Joe Martin Stage Race
- Won a stage at the Tour de l'Avenir
- 2017
- Won the U.S. Under-23 Road Race Championship
- Won the Gran Premio Palio del Recioto
- 2019
- 2nd in the U.S. National Time Trial Championship
- 2021
- Won the Clásica de San Sebastián
- 5th in the Road Race at the UCI World Championships
- 2022
- Won the Japan Cup
- 4th overall in the Tour de Suisse
- 2023
- Won the overall Étoile de Bessèges
- Won the Grand Prix La Marseillaise
- 3rd in 2023 Dwars door Vlaanderen
- 5th in 2023 Tour of Flanders
- 2024
- Won Gran Piemonte
- Won Japan Cup
