L39ION of Los Angeles launches UCI Continental team in 2021; hire Skylar Schneider and Kendall Ryan
The team, lead by Williams, is moving to men's UCI Continental status for the 2021 season.
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L39ION of Los Angeles is going pro in 2021.
The Los Angeles-based program, which is the brainchild of brothers Justin and Cory Williams, announced on Monday its plan to launch a UCI Continental squad, as well as a co-ed Domestic Elite team, for this coming season.
The roster for the UCI Continental squad will be announced in the coming months. According to a team release, the squad will focus on the major UCI pro races on the North American circuit.
The co-ed L39ION of Los Angeles Domestic Elite team has brought on standout female riders Skylar Schneider and Kendall Ryan, bringing the program its first female riders.
“We saw an opportunity to help people who were really talented American riders,” Justin Williams said about the addition of Ryan and Schneider.
Ryan joins the squad after spending nine seasons on the California-based UCI pro team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank. Schneider joins the squad after two seasons with Dutch team Boels-Dolmans.
“Joining L39ION is a big deal to me,” Ryan said in a release. “I fell in love with the sport of cycling at a young age by racing criteriums in Southern California. The Williams brothers and I were on the same junior team, Major Motion. I learned a lot from them. My goals are to encourage desire and participation of women in the sport of cycling, equality of women in cycling, share my knowledge with the up and coming, and win every race we show up to.”
“I will wear the Legion of Los Angeles colors with pride in 2021,” Schnider said. “As a professional athlete and a woman, I feel empowered to use my platform and position with L39ION of Los Angeles to make a difference. So, it means a lot to me that they have chosen me to fulfill this role.”
Ryan and Schneider will race alongside Justin Williams, Avry Howes, Angel Munoz, Ama Nsek, and Imeh Nsek.
L39ION of Los Angeles is the brainchild of Williams Racing Development, a program aimed at increasing diversity in cycling. Launched by brothers Cory and Justin Williams, the team uses its marketing platform to promote cycling to communities that are traditionally not reached by the sport.
“This team will be “a place where people of color can see true representation in cycling,” said the team in a release. “L39ION of Los Angeles will continue to work to open doors for the next generation of cyclists by changing the way teams work in the construct of American cycling.”
