'Nobody should be going straight to the World Tour out of juniors' - US talent Cole Kessler urges patience in rider development

Kessler, who rode for Lidl-Trek Future Racing across 2024 and 2025, has emerged as one of the most promising breakaway specialists of his generation. Standing at 1.98 metres, Kessler combines size and stamina in a way that defies traditional climbing stereotypes, a contrast he embraces rather than hides from.

“I think I’m a breakaway rider, definitely a breakaway specialist, because nowadays to win from the break you have to be super robust,” Kessler explained. “You have to be able to get over some climbs. Like in the Tour, if you want to win from a break, most of the days they let it go are on hilly stages.”

Simmons is one of several riders Kessler points to as proof that power and resilience can outweigh a pure climber’s build. “He’s an amazing example of a guy who isn’t climber weight, but with his robustness, he can still perform on hard courses,” he said, referencing the American’s fourth place at Il Lombardia this season.

The reigning under-23 time trial champion credits retired Lidl-Trek veteran Tim Declercq as a key influence on his development. “I always looked up to Tim,” he said. “When he joined the team, it was really cool to talk to him at camps and pick his brain. I think it’s awesome to ride on the front all day and just make people hurt. It’s pretty fun.”

His earliest inspirations go back to the 2018 Tour de France. “That was when Geraint Thomas won,” he recalled. “I told myself I was going to win the Tour one day. Later, as I learned more about cycling, I looked up to Sagan, and then to guys like Luke Rowe and Tim Declercq. Those are the riders I wanted to be like.”

When asked about the decline of successful breakaways in modern racing, Kessler offered a candid assessment. “The death of the breakaway is probably mostly because of UAE Team Emirates and the way they ride,” he said. “For Pogačar to be successful, he needs such a hard pace all day.”

Still, he doesn’t believe the art of the escape is dead. “I don’t think the break is gone at all. That’s why you see riders fighting so hard for it in the Tour, huge power numbers in the first hour, everyone desperate to get up the road.”

More than anything, Kessler used his Hotseat appearance to push back against what he sees as a worrying trend in modern cycling: the acceleration of rider development. With names like Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and Albert Withen Philipsen jumping straight from the junior ranks to the WorldTour, he believes the sport risks losing sight of endurance’s slow, natural progression.

“Really, nobody should be going straight to the WorldTour out of juniors,” he said. “You don’t see many guys go straight from high school into the major leagues and pitch in the World Series as an 18-year-old.”

“Everybody wants the next Remco, the next Pogačar. They’re signing 15-, 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kids to WorldTour teams and forgetting how endurance sports work and that you get better as you get older. If you’re 18 and really good, be cautious. Maybe do two years under-23 before making the jump.”

Away from racing, Kessler stressed the need for balance, a message that reflects both maturity and perspective. “If cycling is your passion and you want to make it your job, then yeah, keep working hard,” he said. “But don’t forget to have fun and be who you were before you became a pro cyclist.”

Kessler is expected to announce his team for the 2026 season in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the full Hotseat episode with Cole 👇