Neilson Powless burst onto the United States road racing scene as a 19-year-old and found instant
success, finishing ninth overall at the 2016 Amgen Tour of California and winning a stage at the Tour de
l’Avenir. Those results shot him to the World Tour where his adaptability accelerated his learning curve.
His sporting family laid the foundation for his future professional success. His mom ran the marathon in
the 1992 Olympics. His dad was in the Air Force and raced Ironman’s, winning an award for being the
top Ironman finisher who was also in the military. His sister, Shayna is also a professional cyclist who has
raced for the US National Team. Family time in the Powless household was spent outdoors: swimming in
the lake, running, and riding bikes on the trails in Northern California.
Before pursuing cycling, Powless won both XTERRA National and World Championships in 2012. Since
entering the World Tour, with most notable results including:
Winner of 2021 Klasikoa Donostia San Sebastián and the first time an American has won a World Tour
one day race in over a decade, and;
5th place in 2021 Pro World Championships and the best result for an American in over two decades.
Competed twice in the Tour de France and first ever North American Native to compete in the Tour de
France.
Neilson Powless became a professional cyclist in 2018 after stand out performances in the Tour of
California, Tour de L’Avenir, and World Championships for U23 cyclists. 
Since joining the ranks of World Tour professionals. Neilson has most notably led Polka Dot jersey
competition as the best climber in the Tour de France for a record 13 days as an American. Neilson has
also won professional races across the globe from Europe to Asia. Some of which include the Klasikoa
San Sebastián, Japan Cup, Étoile de Bessèges, and the Grand Prix de Marseilles. After finding a niche for
himself in 1 day races, Powless now has his eyes set on the prestigious “Monuments” in cycling. In 2023,
Powless finished 5th in the cobblestone monument, Ronde Van Vlaanderen. Since then his dream has
been to become the first American to win the Ronde Van Vlaanderen.
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images