18 things you didn't know about Neilson Powless

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Nielsen Powless is breaking out into one of the best riders in the world. With a fifth place in the 2021 road World Championships Powless has grown even better in the last two years with 12th overall at the 2022 Tour and a fifth in the Tour of Flanders and seventh in Milan SanRemo Powless has shown some incredible versatility and ability to beat the best riders in the world. 

Powless is currently fighting for the Polka Dot jersey at the 2023 Tour De France, having worn it for 14 days so far in this tour. Additionally Powless has already been selected for Team USA for the UCI World Championship in Glasgow this year.

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1. Neilson is Oneida on his father's side and in 2020, he became the first tribally recognized Native North American to race the Tour de France.
   
2. He is only the sixth American to wear the Polka Dot jersey joining Nate Brown (2017), Taylor Phinney (2017), Tejay Van Garderen (2011), Greg Lemond (1986) and Marianne Martin (1984).
   
3. He was the American U23 road race national champion in 2017, winning a three man sprint ahead of Gage Hecht and Brendan Rhim.
   
4. While Neilson is only 26, he has been racing since he was very young and turned pro in 2018.
   
5. His first WorldTour team was Lotto NL Jumbo which is now known as Jumbo Visma.
   
6. In his Grand Tour debut, he was a part of Primož Roglič’s GC win during the 2019 Vuelta España.
   
7. After two years with the Dutch Jumbo squad, Neilson moved to the American outfit of EF Pro Cycling now known as EF Education-Easypost.
   
8. He’s a military kid; his dad was in the Air Force.
   
9. His mother was an Olympian running the marathon for Guam in 1992.

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10. He's currently expecting his first child.

11. He lives in Nice, France.

12. Cycling runs in the family as his sister Shayna Powless is also a professional cyclist riding for the DNA Pro Cycling team.

13. Neilson grew up racing XTERRA off-road triathlons alongside sister 

14. He won the XTERRA World Championship in 2012 in Maui, Hawaii. His sister finished second.

15. Neilson is named after his dad: Jack Mcneil Powell - Neil’s son.

16. Neilson has also raced in the MTB world championships in 2014 finishing eighth in the junior men. 

17. He is an alumni of the Axel Mercxk’s development team Hagens Berman Axeon, riding for them from 2015 till 2017.

18. Neilson grew up in California and watched the Tour of California in person at the age of 10. He would then compete in the Tour of California in 2016, 2018 and 2019