Factor expands backing of Modern Adventure with five year Tour de France target

Factor is increasing its investment in Modern Adventure Pro Cycling and will become co-title sponsor of the US registered team from the 2027 season, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday.

The team will race as Modern Adventure Factor Racing, with the expanded agreement covering rider recruitment, development, performance support and technical collaboration. The partnership is part of the team’s stated ambition to compete in the Tour de France within five years.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling was launched in June 2025 and began racing as a UCI ProTeam in 2026. Founded by George and Rich Hincapie with backing from Modern Adventure and a group of US investors, it was created to strengthen the pathway between American cycling and the European professional peloton.

Reaching the Tour would require the team to progress through cycling’s international hierarchy and either secure a wildcard invitation from race organiser ASO or earn automatic entry by attaining UCI WorldTeam status.

In its debut season, however, Modern Adventure has already gained access to several prominent events, including the UAE Tour, Volta a Catalunya and Paris-Roubaix. Twelve of the team’s 21 riders are American, giving the US registered programme a clear domestic identity as it builds its sporting and organisational structure around the longer term Tour de France objective.

Factor joined the project as a founding technical partner ahead of its first season. The company brought considerable experience from the highest level of professional road cycling, having supplied bikes to Israel Start-Up Nation and its successor, Israel-Premier Tech, from 2020 until the end of 2025.

The two parties separated after a difficult final season in which Israel-Premier Tech faced sustained protests and growing pressure from sponsors over its Israeli identity against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.

As part of the new agreement, Factor Racing, the bicycle manufacturer’s UCI Continental development programme, will be brought under the Modern Adventure Factor Racing structure. The organisations say this will create a more direct route between development racing and the professional team, particularly for young US riders seeking experience in Europe.

The move reflects a wider challenge within American cycling. Although the United States has continued to produce riders capable of competing at the highest level, the route from domestic racing to a sustained professional career in Europe remains fragmented.

Factor founder Rob Gitelis said his own experience as an American rider during the 1980s had influenced the company’s decision to deepen its involvement.

“I know what it feels like to be a young American rider looking toward Europe and trying to understand how to get there,” Gitelis said. “There was no easy pathway then, and it still isn’t easy now.”

Gitelis raced in the United States before moving to France and Spain during an era in which opportunities for American cyclists in Europe were limited. He said Modern Adventure’s plans offered the chance to create a more structured route for the next generation.

Factor’s role will extend beyond supplying bicycles. The company intends to work with the team on engineering, product development, athlete feedback and performance support, drawing on its experience with professional teams and riders.

The partnership will also give Factor a dedicated environment in which to test and refine equipment. According to the company, the closer relationship with riders and performance staff should allow for a more continuous development process than is typically possible through a conventional equipment sponsorship.

Modern Adventure founder George Hincapie said the agreement would give the team access to expertise needed to support its sporting ambitions.

“This is not just about putting great bikes under our riders,” Hincapie said. “It is about surrounding the team with people who understand racing, development, equipment and the long road it takes to reach the Tour de France.”