Austin Aviators: Another Williams Brothers Initiative to Revolutionize Cycling
The Austin Aviators, the newest race team courtesy of the Williams brothers, is taking flight this 2023 road season. Making their debut at Valley of the Sun Stage Race in February, the team has already posted some impressive performances.
The Austin, Texas-based co-ed team has an impressive 11-rider roster including Bermuda National Champion Connor White, Barbados National Champion Gregory Vanderpool, and five additional men and four women from the U.S., Philippines, Columbia, and Ireland.
The mix of professional and elite developing racers is already disrupting the status quo early in the season. At Valley of the Sun Stage Race, 23-year-old White dominated by taking the second stage and the overall win for the pro/1 category and a few weeks later, Michael Pincus nabbed the top spot at the Randalls Island Crit. On the women’s team, Nicole Mertz had an impressive performance at one of the popular Austin Driveway Series races and Philippines racer Monton Joyce took a podium spot in the Pro 1-3 category at the Redlands Bicycle Classics.
As the third team from Williams Racing Development, the Austin Aviators are expected to be as notable and successful as L39ion of Los Angeles and the Miami Blazers. With Belizean-American cyclist Justin Williams at the helm, these teams are the fruition of his vision for revolutionizing American bike racing. For Williams, it’s not just about racing.
As Williams ushers the Austin Aviators into the future, the team will race at several major events across the country including the Sea Otter Classic, Tulsa Tough, Elite National Championships, Intelligentsia Cup and more. At each event, the Austin Aviators will roll on Vitus bikes-a French bike brand.
"We’re stoked to be kicking off our partnership with the Austin Aviators. As a global bike brand we didn’t want to go down the traditional UCI Pro Tour route and love the fast-paced action that comes with US Pro Crit racing. For us it’s not about race wins or podiums, but rather the people that make the team and the city they represent," Alex James, Vitus’s global marketing manager, told Cycling Weekly.
Fans interested in following the pursuits of the Austin Aviators can check out their Strava club leaderboard and try to keep up with White and others.
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