Date: 10 March 2023
No stranger to adding champions or Kiwis to its roster, the Hagens Berman Axeon Cycling Team added both in 2022 with the addition of Jack Drage, the 2021 New Zealand U23 Road Race champion. Jack joined Axeon from Groupama-FDJ Equipe continentale.
“Joining Axeon has always been a dream for me,” said Jack. “They are one of the best development teams in the world so it was pretty awesome when I was asked to join them. I am really grateful for the opportunity and am super excited about continuing my development with Axeon next year.”
Jack is a two-time New Zealand National Champion, winning the 2020 U19 Road Race and the 2021 U23 Road Race. The 18-year-old from Christchurch, New Zealand considers himself strong in breakaways and hills. He is a hard worker and does not shy away from challenges.
“After a productive off season I’m looking forward to getting back into racing and proving it when the road goes uphill,” he said.
“Jack is a big talent out of New Zealand and has shown great potential on hilly courses,” said team owner and director Axel Merckx. “He has already stagiared with FDJ and brings with him perspective and experience. Jack has high potential with a lot of growth and development still to be done. I’m excited to have another Kiwi on the team and look forward to seeing what he can achieve.”
