Lauren Stephens fully committed to Aegis Foundation Cycling women’s team as it heads toward 2026 rebrand as Next Step Racing

The last 18 months has had more twists and turns than a television melodrama for two-time US gravel national champion Lauren Stephens. After 12 years racing with UCI teams, primarily on the road, she embarked on an independent programme to start her 2025 off-road campaign and then put the many pieces together to launch her own multi-discipline team, Aegis Cycling Foundation.

There’s no shortage of victories and race podiums for the Texan, from winning the Pan American road race championship, taking back-to-back GC wins at the UCI-level Tour of the Gila, two titles at Gravel Worlds in Nebraska and a pair of titles at the elite women’s gravel nationals. She also won Levi’s GranFondo The Growler this year on a solo breakaway and dominated Tour de Bloom for the GC title.