Former junior road world champion Emil Herzog was among a trio of young riders added to the EF Education-EasyPost roster for depth across one-day and races in the new year. He'll be joined by Italian Nicolas Milesi, who took the silver medal in the U23 ITT at the 2026 Road World Championships in Montréal, and 26-year-old Tobias Bayer of Austria.
At just 22, Herzog has already raced at the top tier the last three seasons with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, taking a top 10 at Milano-Torino and Bretagne Classic-CIC. He nearly pulled off his first UCI victory on stage 5 at this year's Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, getting into the decisive breakaway and going second in a six-rider sprint.
“Emil is a huge talent. He was junior world champion and, at 22, already has three years of WorldTour racing in his legs,” EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters said.
“He was knocking on the door of his first professional win this season. I think he is going to flourish in the years ahead. He is an aggressive racer who really fits into our team’s style. We’re going to give him every opportunity to show his skills and strength.”
In 2021, the German won the junior time trial national title and finished second at the Course de la Paix. The next season, he won 12 races, including Course de la Paix, the junior road race national and world titles.
Having grown up in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, his passion for mountain biking and nordic skiing led him to try Unbound Gravel 200 in Kansas, where he surprised with eighth in the elite field. On the road, he sees himself developing as a climber, and looks for opportunities to be aggressive to forge his way to the front in one-day and stage races where he overcomes fatigue for a final kick.
"In the juniors, I was more of a sprinter, a bit more of a classics rider, but I've turned a bit more into a climber type," he said in a press release.
"But my goal should be to get back that explosiveness, because I love going in breakaways, and if I'm in a group that comes to the finish, I'd love to be able to win the sprint out of it. My fatigue resistance is quite good, so it's good for me when we have to push the whole day."
Milesi moves up to the WorldTour for the first time after a year with Netcompany Ineos Racing Academy. He began his career as a junior mountain bike champion then switched to the road, where he earned three consecutive silver medals in the U23 Italian time trial championships.
At Montréal Road Worlds, he was just seven seconds off the winning pace in the U23 time trial, won by Dutch rider Ryan Gal. But three weeks later he concluded his year with a victory in the U23 Chrono des Nations. He also won a time trial stage at Olympia's Tour. Showing the versatility that attracted EF Education, the Italian won the 164.5km Gran Premio Sportivi di Poggiana one-day race using his fast kick at the end to win a two-up sprint from a breakaway.
“In the summer, I started talking to EF Education-EasyPost, and what was clear was that this team was an excellent opportunity for my progression and development as a rider. I wanted to step up and join the WorldTour, and I’m really happy with my decision for the next few years,” Nicolas said in a team press release.
Herzog and Milesi are both signed through 2029, while Bayer has a two-year contract.
Bayer has proven his versatility during six years at Alpecin-Premier Tech, from a domestique role in six Grand Tours to finishing on the podium at Brussels Cycling Classic. A former two-time Austrian U23 time trial national champion, the 26-year-old seeks opportunities in breakaways and relishes the aggressive style of EF Education-EasyPost.
"He’s shown that he is an incredibly devoted teammate who won’t hesitate to turn himself inside out for the cause. That said, we think he still has untapped potential and we are excited to see what he can do,” Vaughters said.
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