Jonathan Vaughters continues to invest in young talents. After already signing Archie Ryan (21), Jardi van der Lee (22), Jack Rootkin-Gray (20), and the big hope for 2024, Daren Rafferty (20), the team has announced its fifth signing, even younger than the previous ones. Another British talent, Lukas Nerurkar, has signed a two-year contract with EF Education Easypost.
Son of a Marathon Runner
At just 19 years old, the son of a marathon runner (Richard Nerurkar), he will be joining his friend and roommate Ben Healy next year. He grew up in Ethiopia before training for the past two years with the Continental team Trinity Racing. With some success, notably winning a stage of the Giro Next Gen (Under-23) in 2023, while also achieving an impressive 6th place against the Pros in the overall classification of O Gran Camino earlier in the year, a Spanish stage race won by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).
Lucas Nerurkar:
“I’ve already done some professional races with Trinity Racing, but it’s different when you ride for a WorldTour team. I think I’m a climber with strength. At the moment, that’s the path I’m following. I climb very well, and usually at the end of tough days, I still have a good sprint to win in a small group. I haven’t done many races yet, and I think the next few years will be about discovering what kind of cyclist I am and what I’ll become, to improve in those areas to really excel as a rider.”
Jonathan Vaughters:
“Lucas obviously inherited that incredible aerobic capacity from his father. He’s also proven to be quite strong and fast, with a good finishing kick. He’s tactically astute, as evidenced by his stage wins in the Giro Next Gen. I’m not sure if he’ll be a stage racer or a one-day rider. I do know he can climb mountains and knows how to contest the finish line.”