Trek Factory Racing is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with Kiel Reijnen, who joins from Team UnitedHealthcare. Reijnen is a power sprinter who's capable of winning reduced bunch sprints in aggressive races or on short, uphill finishes. 

“This is a huge opportunity for me," Reijnen said. "This move represents the culmination of a lot of hard work over the last years. During my time at UHC I became a more consistent rider and a lot of time it was because of team work. I’m a bit a of a late bloomer, you know. Moving up to the WorldTour is a big step for me, and it may surprise some people. All I know is that it would not have been possible without my time at UHC.”

Reijnen's all round proficiency sufficed for VeloNews to label him ‘America’s best rider not on a WorldTour team’, a title that’s now up for revision. Reijnen, who originates from Bainbridge Island, Washington, most recently raised his arms in victory in Aspen, Colorado, at the US Pro Challenge, where he also won the Points Classification for the second consecutive year.

“I believe I have a lot more depth to find. I can gain some more sprinting speed, I think, and overall I think I am ready to take on a more demanding racing program,” says Reijnen, who will find a base in Europe during the season. “The team would like to see me race the harder one day races and that is something that’s hard to do straight off of training. I like the European races: you get beat up a lot and that equates later down the road in more strength and stamina."

“Kiel has been on our radar for some time now and we are proud to welcome him to our team," manager Luca Guercilena said. "We’re excited about bringing him to the European circuit and we believe he still has a margin of progression to make. He’s found a certain niche in hard stages that lead to a reduced sprint, or flatter stages with a little kick in the end. He’s really good and has been very successful in these type of US races.”

Reijnen, who will be entering his ninth season as a pro, has a palmares that also includes two victories at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic (2013,2014), stage wins at the USA Pro Challenge (2014,2015), the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (2015), four times winning bronze at the US National Road Championships, and winning the overall classifications in the Tour of Rwanda and the Tour of Thailand. He also has a degree in mechanical engineering and is considered one of the better interviews in the US peloton. 

“I’d like to continue to hone my style with Trek. I don’t climb with the best climbers and I don’t sprint with the best sprinters, but I sprint well when there’s a lot of climbing to be done, so I’m grateful to Trek for this step up. I’m thrilled to make the most out of it," Reijnen said.