Many WorldTeams have already finalized their transfers, but this is definitely not the case for EF Education-EasyPost. The American squad introduced Luke Lamperti and Michael Leonard earlier this week and has now presented a third newcomer: Matthias Schwarzbacher.
With Schwarzbacher, EF Education-EasyPost brings in a true rouleur. The 19-year-old rider demonstrated his time trial abilities multiple times last season. He won the opening time trial in the Giro Next Gen, became the Slovak elite time trial champion, and placed second in the time trial of the West Bohemia Tour. At the international time trial championships (Worlds and Europeans), he finished fourteenth and twelfth respectively.
However, Schwarzbacher is more than 'just' a time trialist, as he finished eighth in the challenging Trofeo Ses Salines this spring—racing among the pros. He was also sixth in Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and fourth in the consistently strong Giro del Belvedere. His achievements went beyond top placings, as he secured victory in the UMAG Classic, a one-day race on Croatian soil.
A welcome surprise
The former biathlete achieved all this while riding for the UAE Emirates XRG development team, but he will make his pro debut with a different squad. "Until this year, I described myself as a punchy rider with a strong sprint, but this year I also rode very well in time trials. That was a bit of a surprise for me, but I still believe I can perform in various types of races," he said in a press release from his new team.
"Last season was truly a welcome surprise for me. I hadn’t expected such a strong year, especially since I was often sick last year. I hoped for good results this year, but I didn’t expect to make such a big step forward. I had a really good conversation with Jonathan Vaughters (team manager of EF Education-EasyPost, ed.) and ultimately dream of racing Paris-Roubaix, but I see 2026 as a year to continue learning. I’ll need to adapt to WorldTour level."
Highly versatile
Team manager Vaughters is very enthusiastic about the young Slovak. "Matthias impresses in short time trials, but he is also an extremely versatile rider. He’s very strong on flat terrain and a very effective sprinter. He was already on my radar before his win in the Giro. I see him as an indispensable lead-out man and a great time trialist, but also as someone who dreams of competing in Paris-Roubaix and races like Gent-Wevelgem."
Matthias Schwarzbacher| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2027 | |
| 2026 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 |
