Logan Owen renews with EF Education First

American Logan Owen will stay in the WorldTour for 2020, having renewed his contract with EF Education First.

The team announced Owen’s renewal on Friday afternoon.

“I’m a helper in some of the bigger races,” Owen said in a release. “I can position our leaders really well I know how to get them through the field. I’m excited to continue to focus on that.”

Owen made his WorldTour debut with EF Education First in 2018 after a successful stint in the Under-23 ranks with the Axeon Hagens Berman team, where he won the Under-23 version of Liege-Bastogne-Liege. In his first year Owen raced a smattering of smaller one-day and stage races in Europe and the United States, including the Tour de Pologne, Amgen Tour of California, and the Tour of Austria.

Throughout his campaign Owen based himself in West Flanders, just outside of the Belgian town of Roeselare. His home base bucked the trend of many American WorldTour riders, who choose to live in Spain or southern France.

Owen, a 10-time U.S. cyclocross champion, said he chose West Flanders as his WorldTour base due to his personal connections in the region.

For 2019 Owen progressed onto harder events, racing a full spring classics campaign, before completing the Criterium du Dauphiné and the Binck Bank Tour, before making his grand tour debut at the Vuelta a España.

Owen was one of just five EF riders to finish the Vuelta after the squad lost multiple riders to crashes and injuries.

“Just getting selected for the Vuelta was a big deal for me,” Owen said. “My selection was finalized late, and I didn’t expect to be at the start line. It was a great experience. To be able to help our team leaders that first week, until we lost three of our guys, it was a really good feeling. I was super motivated. Being able to race the Vuelta, and then finish the race, after all we went through, that’s definitely the standout moment during my two years with the team.”