Gravel bikes, and gravel adventure racing, captured the imagination of many riders when EF Education First revealed that it would be entering the 2019 season with additional "alternative" race programs, including the Dirty Kanza and Leadville 100! in the cycling world, it certainly caught people's attention.

A year after introducing an alternative race program in addition to the "regular" road program that won the Tour de Flanders with Alberto Bettiol, EF Education First announced it would do the same in 2020.

"Honestly, I think it worked out better than we could have imagined," Alex Howes, the team's U.S. road racing champion, said in a press release.

"But we got a little lucky. I mean, it's pretty hard to win a bike race, and right after Canza, I won the Nationals, and right after Leadville, Lachlan Morton won a stage of the Tour of Utah.

Morton, an Australian rider, has won the Dirty Kanza, Leadville, GBDuro (a 2,000 km-long race in England that runs mainly off-road from Land's End, England, to John O'Groats, Scotland), and the Three Peaks, also in England cyclo-cross races, and definitely a billboard for the team's new approach. These events came on top of his road program, which included the 2019 Tour Down Under, Tour of California, and the Tour of Utah, a stage win in Park City.

"I knew the alternative program was going to be fun," he said. But we hoped a lot of people would buy in, and we knew cycling wanted a different narrative at the top level."

For the team's manager and CEO, former professional athlete Jonathan Vaughters, it was a case of "mission accomplished."

"The core culture of the team, from its inception, has always been to disrupt. That's what we've always strived for, that's been our founding philosophy," he says.

"Different teams have different founding philosophies, but with this team, from the very beginning, it was about doing things differently.

"Whether it was our stance on anti-doping or the behind-the-scenes documentary content we offered people during 2019, we wanted to attract new audiences and new fans in an authentic and transparent way. We have always adhered to that founding philosophy and have done so continuously over the past decade.

"In 2020, what I want to see more than anything is the continuation of the up-and-coming talent that we have brought to the team, that they continue to move forward and step up to key positions on the team," Vaughters said.

"I feel really special and honored to be a part of the team," he said, adding that since joining the team in 2016, he has won a stage at the 2018 Vuelta a España, an Italian one-day race, Milano-Torino, and represented Canada at the 2018 World Championships road race bronze medal, added former runner Michael Woods.

"I don't think cycling will be what it is in 20 years--it will be something completely different. 'For the sport to be relevant, popular, and appealing to the masses, it will have to change drastically. I really think the sport is moving toward more open racing, more alternative racing, and it's really special to be on a team that embraces that.

"When you look back 20 years from now, I think there are some key teams that really made a difference.