Having gained the admiration of Jonathan Vaughters with an aggressive ride in the recent USPRO championships, Phil Gaimon’s near miss on a title there has been more than compensated by the news that he has secured a contract with Garmin-Sharp for the 2014 season.
The 27 year old American rider has competed with the Kenda and Bissell Pro Cycling teams in recent years but will now have the chance to step up to the WorldTour level with a team he said that he was always interested in.
“I started racing [in 2005], then got my Cat 2 upgrade just in time to compete against guys like Ian McGregor at U23 nationals, where Tyler Farrar was second,” he said. “He was riding for the team when it was Team TIAA-CREF, and I remember thinking that looked like a cool team to ride for.
“I've watched the team grow over the years from the U23 development squad to the team that saved pro cycling with a real emphasis on clean racing and it's always been a moving target for me. I'm proud to join Garmin-Sharp and be a small part of that, and there's no one I'd rather ride for.”
Garmin-Sharp CEO Vaughters made clear that Gaimon was on his radar with a tweet during the USPRO nationals on May 27th. “Ok, I'm going to show some odd favoritism: I'm a @philgaimon fan. Go Phil!!!!!!!”
Now, with the rider officially on board, he said that he was excited by the signing. “Having watched Phil race over the past few years we know he is a great, versatile rider with a huge amount of talent. Beyond that, he is also funny, smart and unique addition to the team. We think he’ll be a great fit both on the road and off and we look forward to helping him take the next step in his career.”
Gaimon has been based in the US until now but has picked up good results there, including victory last year in the Redlands Cycling Classic. He was also TT winner in the San Dimas stage race for the past two seasons, and was second in this year’s Tour of the Gila behind Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare).
He picked up victories on a stage and in the overall of the Merco Cycling Classic, and is looking forward to stepping up a level.
“I know I'm ready now, I'm excited to set new goals and see what I can learn in the big leagues,” said Gaimon.
Garmin-Sharp recently signed Olympic Omnium champion Lasse Norman Hansen, and is expected to make further 2014 lineup announcements as this season progresses.