Twenty-one-year-old Canadian Michael Leonard will race next season with the EF Education-EasyPost jersey, aiming to stand out in the most challenging classics and earn a spot to ride his first grand tour. He is already entering his fourth season as a professional and brings proven WorldTour experience - gained with Ineos Grenadiers - that goes well beyond his age.

"This team has a unique identity and an exciting culture. It's a team that is always seen attacking, that gives riders the space to express themselves and race in the way most suitable for them, so they can best leverage their characteristics. It's a team that definitely brings out the best in its riders."

Michael started by racing children's triathlons and got close to cycling at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Oakville, a velodrome built near his hometown for the 2015 Pan American Games.
"We had a really valuable group of cyclists and coaches and a truly positive dynamic. Many of my teammates have been successful on the road and on the track. That velodrome was definitely the center of my childhood growth. That's how I got close to this sport. I had the opportunity to come to Europe and start racing with the Toronto Hustle development team, then I moved full-time to Italy in my second year as a junior: it was tough, because no one in my city or my team spoke English well. But it was also very nice because it gave me the opportunity to completely immerse myself in Italian cycling culture. For me, being in Italy, being part of that culture and going to races every weekend was living a dream."

Michael's excellent results earned him his first WorldTour contract. An important transition that he managed well, despite a hip fracture at the beginning of his second season. "I would say that injury gave me the opportunity to re-evaluate my approach to the sport and the different things I was doing in training. It gave my body the opportunity to reset, to complete growth, so when I returned to racing I immediately felt better compared to the previous year. Since then, it has been continuous growth."

Michael is the current Canadian time trial champion. In 2024, he won a stage at the Tour de l'Avenir and since then has obtained very promising results in WorldTour stage races.

"Last year, Michael won the opening time trial at the Tour de l'Avenir - says Jonathan Vaughters, founder and CEO of EF Pro Cycling. It was a short prologue. One of the things I've always looked for in very young riders is their ability to do short time trials. There's an old saying in sports physiology: you can always turn a middle-distance runner into a marathon runner, but you can never do the opposite. That time trial made me think: 'Ok, this is a good sign that he has the fundamental engine for a super-high VO2max. I think this guy can do something great for us'. Michael hasn't yet achieved great results among professionals. He has had to work hard during his first three years. I think our team will represent a great reset for him. He's a time trialist who can also climb well and is very skilled in breakaways."