'I still have so much more to achieve': Coloradan racer tapped up by former Tour de France dominator after shock exit of Filippo Ganna.
(Photo: Filip Bezdek/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Updated October 15, 2026 09:11AM
Riley Sheehan will spend the next two years of his budding pro career with Netcompany Ineos.
The Coloradan racer and his new team confirmed a two-year deal on Thursday, starting next season.
Sheehan is one of USA’s new generation of rising road racers.
Now aged 26, he became the first American to win the prestigious Paris-Tours one-day classic in what was then his trainee season in 2023.
This year, the powerful all-rounder won twice with his current team, NSN Cycling, and was called up to Team USA before Brandon McNulty won the recent road world championships.
“Joining the team is a dream come true,” Sheehan said Thursday. “It’s a team I’ve looked up to since I was young, and to now be part of such a successful and respected organization is incredibly special.
“I believe I still have so much more to achieve in my career, and having the backing of this team is the perfect next step for me,” he said.
“I’m excited to get started, set ambitious goals and give everything I have to help the team win, while continuing to push myself to become the best rider I can be.”
Sheehan came up through stalwart U.S. squads Aevolo and Rally, and spent a year on the NCL runaway league team.
He turned pro in 2024 and has been progressing since.
“Riley is an exciting rider. He’s fast, technically very skilled and has the ability to perform across a range of terrain,” said Netcompany Ineos head of racing Geraint Thomas.
“We see him being a great addition to our classics group, but he’s also a rider who can contribute right across the calendar,” Thomas said Thursday. “He brings plenty of versatility to the team, and we’re looking forward to helping him continue to develop.”
Sheehan in, Ganna out in Netcompany Ineos roster overhaul
Sheehan is the latest in a flurry of new signings for Netcompany Ineos.
On Wednesday, the British team confirmed contracts with Clément Champoussin, James Shaw, and former Tour de l’Avenir winner Joseph Blackmore.
Spanish junior supertalent Benjamín Noval will also step directly to WorldTour with the team next year.
But it’s not been one-way traffic at Netcompany Ineos.
Marquee rider Filippo Ganna broke his contract this week to join Lidl-Trek.
The young American contingent of A.J. August, Artem Schmidt, and Magnus Sheffield are among a total of nine riders who will leave the team or retire this winter.