Canyon and the Generation Ride Foundation have joined forces to find up-and-coming cycling talent: Starting in 2027, the newly founded GEN RIDE Racing team offers U17 and U19 riders a professional environment and first-class equipment. The application phase is now open.
Koblenz, Germany, 16 October 2026 – With GEN RIDE Racing, the Generation Ride Foundation is launching a new youth team in German road cycling. Equipped and supported by Koblenz-based bike brand Canyon, the project unites both sides through Roman Arnold, founder of the global bike brand and initiator of the foundation. While the foundation breaks down barriers to give kids and teens access to cycling, Canyon provides pro-level gear, giving ambitious young talents a clear pathway into competitive sports.
The dream of making it to the pro ranks doesn't just come down to talent - it takes the right people in your corner. Roman Arnold knows this feeling all too well from his own youth. That’s why GEN RIDE Racing creates the setup and opportunities young riders need at this age to really take off:
Cycling has shaped my life from a very young age. The support I was fortunate enough to receive back then was the key to everything that followed. With GEN RIDE Racing, we want to offer young people precisely this opportunity: a pure cycling environment in which sporting excellence and personal development go hand in hand, and where talent and dedication are the only things that count.Roman Arnold, Founder of Canyon and Generation Ride Foundation
The need is clear: while organised sport in Germany is celebrating record numbers according to the latest data report by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB; 2025)1, cycling reveals a significant gap. Data shows that in the crucial U17 and U19 age groups, nearly half of all young talent drops out. GEN RIDE Racing aims to help close this gap, building the vital bridge needed to keep young athletes in competitive sport.
To ensure the 8 to 12 team riders get the best possible opportunities, the team is building a truly professional racing environment under the guidance of a full-time head coach:
- Season Preparation: At training camps and performance measurement sessions (such as ramp tests and wattage measurements), coaching staff help each rider get the best out of their training.
- Pro Conditions on Race Day: The team travels together to selected key events, including national Bundesliga scouting races. With tactical briefings and pro support on-site, riders can stay 100% focused on racing.
- Everything that makes you faster: Alongside the kilometres on the road, the schedule features additional activities like strength and yoga sessions. Furthermore, practical workshops teach the young athletes how sports nutrition works, how to train mental strength, and how to keep their bikes in peak condition.
- Homebase Koblenz: The heart of the team beats in Koblenz, the home of Canyon. This is where regular team events take place and where a dedicated network of physiotherapy, bike fitting, and performance diagnostics is based. Good accessibility to Koblenz is therefore important to fully utilise this offering.
GEN RIDE Racing is about much more than pure power numbers and race results. The guiding principle is 'Sport as a lesson for life': those who learn to ride cleverly in the pack, go through fire for their team, and fight their way up together, also take away a wealth of experience for real life.
We don't just want to train fast cyclists, but strong personalities. With GEN RIDE Racing, we are building a bridge into competitive sports and creating structures that allow young athletes to grow on and off the race track.Sebastian Heinrich, Generation Ride Director
If you want to fight for the win, you need gear you can rely on completely. Main team sponsor Canyon is equipping the team with top-tier road bikes and technology straight from the pro peloton. And because serious training doesn't stop in the winter, riders also receive world-championship-proven cyclocross bikes, like the Canyon Inflite, on loan for the winter season.
The official Call for Riders is now open to highly motivated riders born in 2013/2014 (U15), 2011/2012 (U17), and 2009/2010 (U19). Driven crossover athletes from other endurance sports who have strong potential but limited road racing experience are also warmly encouraged to apply. In the end, what matters most is potential and passion.
Thanks to a confidential support policy through the foundation, every rider has the exact same shot at joining the team, completely independent of their family’s financial circumstances.
The application deadline is November 15, 2026. All information on the requirements and the application process can be found here: Call for Riders GEN RIDE Racing.
The Generation Ride Foundation is a non-profit initiative launched by Canyon founder Roman Arnold. Under the mission "Speed for Need," it is committed to breaking down financial and social barriers and giving children and young people access to cycling. The foundation supports both grassroots sports and performance-oriented youth programs such as the GEN RIDE Racing team. Supported by prominent ambassadors like World Champion Mathieu van der Poel, the Foundation pursues the vision of inspiring a new generation on two wheels and establishing the sport as a platform for community, diversity, and personal development. Click here further information.
¹ Data source: Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund / DOSB-Bestandserhebung 2025