L39ION of Los Angeles amped up its roster for 2023 with the additions of US Pro road race champion Kyle Murphy and Tour of Britain stage winner Robin Carpenter. Both will move from Human Powered Health at the end of the calendar year, both having spent the last five seasons with the US-based ProTeam.
This year Murphy put an exclamation mark on his career by winning the stars-and-stripes jersey in the USA Cycling Pro Road Race Championship, earning a solo victory in Knoxville, Tennessee after taking bronze the year before. Five of his support cast of HPH teammates finished in the top 18 of that 186.1km race, including Carpenter, who was 15th.
Human Powered Health has recently added WorldTour talent to its squad, including Barnabas Peák (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) and Gijs Van Hoecke (AG2R Citroën) for a continued focus on racing in Europe. A move from the ProTeam to L39ION was only an opportunity not a step backwards, according to Murphy.
“I am beyond motivated and excited to reconnect with American fans, American racing. Long term, I always wanted to be able to come back to racing in the US. There’s people I think who want the [national champion] jersey to be in the WorldTour and I totally understand that. I want to bring it home and show it off and feel good about that,” Murphy told Cyclingnews about his career move.
“I think at this point in my career, I’m also ready to figure out how I can give back a little more. So some of the camps and group rides and things that the L39ION team organizes, I’m super keen on that.”
Murphy said it would be special to continue racing with a teammate like Carpenter, as they supported each other at big races, from his national title in Knoxville to Carpenter’s solo victory ahead of Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) at last year’s Tour of Britain.
“I’ve been there for some of his biggest successes and he was there for me, like road Nats. It was such an awesome moment, the whole team just kind of gathered on the Gay Street Bridge and we’re all hugging, enjoying that moment,” Murphy said about his June victory at US Pro Road Nationals. “We definitely know how to use each other’s strengths. It’s a lot of fun. He’s super analytical and a great guy to have around.”
Carpenter enters his 12th pro season next year. He’s had success in stage races, including a win in the Cascade and Joe Martin stage races in 2017, road races like the Winston Salem Classic, criteriums and gravel – he was sixth at the 2021…
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