American Continental team Aevolo is looking to expand its geographic reach next season with its first trip to Europe.

The development team, run by former pro and SmartStop director Mike Creed, has established itself on the US national circuit in its first three years and now hopes to add an international component to the careers of its up-and-coming riders. [Creed told Cycling News last week in Colorado Springs. [and Creed told Cycling News in Colorado Springs last week. We have never taken a team to Europe.

"We spammed every race we could, but theoretically we want races where we know the results. Some races, like the Tour Alsace, the Ronde de l'Isard, and the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, other race trackers know. 'You know those races when you win them. So, those are the ones that ...... Basically, it's an indisputable result. When you win Oak Glen (in the Redland Bicycle Classic in California) or the final stage of the Tour of the Zillas (in New Mexico), every coach knows you need to do that. That wasn't a fluke win. That guy had guts." [Creed said the team hopes to make its first European tour in April or May, after starting in January at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia.

"Theoretically, we would start with the Sun Tour, come back, make a short trip to Europe, and then return to Redlands. Then we'll rest a bit, and depending on the invitations, we might skip Joe Martin and come back in time for the Gila, or we might do both back to back," Creed said. 'We're trying to plan exactly what we're going to do, but we're trying to see what options we have.'

Running a U23 development team means that there will be a constant stream of fresh faces, and as current riders age, new riders will be added. Turnover is high in the team's fourth year, and Creed has signed many new faces for the 2020 roster.

Returning for 2019 are Cade Bickmore, Gage Hecht, and Tyler Stitz. Scott McGill, Connor Schunk, and Eric Brunner will join the team for the Tour of Utah in August at the end of the season and will return in 2020.

They will be joined by Aidan McNeil from the junior team Swift Devo. Creed witnessed this young rider run away with the Junior Championships against four riders from the powerful Team LUX and was impressed by the young rider's grit.

Sean McElroy is a rider on Justin Williams' L.A. Legion Criterium-focused team. Creed says this young rider has speed.

"I like riders with speed. It's easier to slow them down and let them run longer than it is to get them to speed up."

Joining him on the team will be Canadian Charles Chretien and junior track rider and Junior Individual Pursuit World Championship bronze medalist Tristan Jussome. Cretean described Jussaume as a "big powerball."

"We could definitely use a guy like that," he said.

While the domestic road scene in the U.S. boasts USA Cycling's in-season Pro Road Tour series of stage races, one-day events, and criteriums, there are only five men's UCI races for American continental teams to fly the flag The UCI America Tour includes the Joe Martin Stage Race in April, the Tour of the Gila in May, the Chrono Kristin Armstrong in July, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in August, and the Maryland Cycling Classic in September.

As a development team with a mission to bring riders into the cycling world, Evolo needs a balance of race days and opportunities for riders to show their talents to larger teams.

The Tour of California, America's premier stage race, will not take place until at least 2020. However, Continental teams have not qualified for the World Tour in the past two seasons. Creed admitted to Cycling News that there are fewer opportunities for race days in the U.S. to get attention from WorldTour teams.

Creed says. "Let's say a rider wins in Gila, or gets 2nd or 3rd in Gila, and then goes to Utah and gets 7th overall.

"The World Tour teams might look at Utah and think that's a pretty good result. But if he does well in the Gila and does well in the Nationals, he'll have a little bit of backbone, and the teams will think he's not a one-trick pony. So it's good to have that backbone. If my rider can finish fifth at Redlands, fifth at Joe Martin, and ninth at Utah, that will sell better results."

Cade Bickmore Gage Hecht Tyler Stitz Connor Schunk Scott McGill Eric Brunner Aidan McNeil Sean McElroy Charles Chrétien Tristan Jusome