A unique component of the Best Buddies Challenge is the caliber of pro riders providing guidance, support and jaw-dropping stories of careers spent racing at the World Championship level. Pros selected range from current superstars, emerging neo-pros or legends recently retired from racing.
Our pro ambassadors have included: Chris Froome, Mari Holden, Tim Johnson, Cole Kessler, Andrew Talansky, Geraint Thomas, Cam Wurf, & others.
Renowned as one of the most accomplished stage racers in history, the 41-year-old Contador is celebrated for his dynamic climbing skills and has clinched victories in all three Grand Tours, marking his presence in the cycling world with nearly every significant stage race on the UCI World Tour.
Nicknamed El Pistolero, he dominated the sport for more than a decade before retiring in 2017. He has served as a commentator for Eurosport television since 2018 and recently launched Team Polti-Kometa.
A native of the Pinto district in Madrid, Contador’s journey from an amateur to a professional cyclist saw him turning professional in 2003 and claiming victories in some of the most grueling climbing stages across the globe. His breakthrough came in 2007 with a win at the Tour de France, followed by victories at both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España in 2008, accumulating seven Grand Tour wins over his career.
Contador’s connection to Best Buddies mission of inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is personal, inspired by his younger brother, Raul, who lives with cerebral palsy.
Geraint Thomas is one of the most accomplished, articulate, and popular cyclists alive. In 2018 he became the first Welsh cyclist to win the Tour de France. Thomas, 37, has won three World Championships, and two Olympic gold medals, and has finished on the podium of both the Tour de France and the Giro D’Italia. He first had international success on the velodrome, winning titles in the pursuit, team pursuit, Madison, and scratch races. But he steadily improved on the road, serving as a domestique to help both Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in their ascendance to the top of the sport. Scoring victories in single-week stage races such as Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, Criterium du Dauphine, and the Tour de Suisse, Thomas became a Grand Tour favorite. Despite the recent eruption of young superstars, Thomas commanded this year’s Giro into the final week before finishing second overall.
The pride of Cardiff, Wales, Thomas was named by the BBC as The Wales Sports Personality of the Year in both 2014 and 2018 and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2018. His podcast, The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club has upwards of 1 million listeners.
A native of New York raised in Miami, Andrew Talansky enjoyed success as a high school runner. But at 17 cycling drew his interest. He never looked back.
At Lees-McRae College in North Carolina, he won the national collegiate championships in 2008 as a freshman. Hooked, he moved to Italy to race at the professional level and bounced between Europe and the U.S., posting impressive results in 2010. This included winning the Under-23 National Time Trial Championship in 2010 and placing second in the prestigious Tour de l’Avenir in France. Rung-by-rung he continued climbing the ladder of sport. He scored his first professional win at the 2012 Tour de l’Ain, winning the points jersey, scoring a stage win, and taking the overall. He finished second in the Tour de Romandie, also claiming the best young rider jersey. Talansky also made a stunning debut in a Grand Tour, the Vuelta a Espana, finishing seventh overall.
The hits kept on coming with a top 10 overall in the Tour de France (2013), second at Paris-Nice (2013), victory at the Criterium du Dauphine (2014), a national time trial championship (2015), 5th overall in the Vuelta Espana (2016), and stage wins in the Tour of Utah and the Tour of California, with overall third place finishes in both events.
In 2018, Talansky switched focus and went into the sport of triathlon and began to transition his career to coaching, living in Northern California where he runs Talansky Performance Group. During his cycling career he also attended several of the Best Buddies Challenge rides as a pro ambassador.
About the Talansky Performance Group: talanskyperformancegroup.com
