Factor Bikes is going all-in on American cycling's boldest start-up: from 2027 it becomes co-title sponsor of George Hincapie's Modern Adventure squad, renaming the team Modern Adventure Factor Racing and chasing a five-year mission to put a US outfit on the Tour de France start line.
From bike supplier to team builder
Factor Bikes has gone from handing Modern Adventure Pro Cycling its frames to helping run the whole project. From 2027 the British brand becomes co-title sponsor, the US-registered team rebrands as Modern Adventure Factor Racing, and Factor takes on rider recruitment, athlete development, performance infrastructure and far closer ties between the team's staff and its own engineers.
Founder George Hincapie framed it as more than a bike deal. The partnership, he said, is 'not just about putting great bikes under our riders' — it is about 'surrounding the team with people who understand racing, development, equipment, and the long road it takes to reach the Tour de France.'
By the numbers
Source: Modern Adventure / Wikipedia
“The ambition to reach the Tour de France within five years is bold, but it has to be. Factor wants to be part of that because we believe in the mission, and because we can contribute more than equipment.”
A debut season that backed up the talk
This is not a vanity project still waiting to pin on a number. In its debut 2026 season the team racked up five wins and lined up at Paris-Roubaix, cycling's brutal cobbled Monument — rare air for a first-year ProTeam. New Zealander Ben Oliver won two stages and the overall at the Tour de Wallonie, and Samuel Flórez took the queen stage at the Tour of the Gila.
There's a strong South African thread, too: time-trial specialist Stefan de Bod rides for the squad and won the South African national time-trial title in February 2026. The roster spans the USA, UK, South Africa, Colombia, Canada and New Zealand — 21 riders run out of Greenville, South Carolina, with a European base in Girona and Bobby Julich as head directeur sportif.
Road to the Tour de France
- Jun 2025Team announced
George Hincapie and his brother reveal plans for a US ProTeam debuting in 2026.
- Feb 2026First national title
Stefan de Bod wins the South African time-trial championship.
- Spring 2026Paris-Roubaix debut
The first-year squad lines up at the cobbled Monument.
- 2026Tour of the Gila
Samuel Flórez takes the queen stage.
- Summer 2026Breakthrough GC win
Ben Oliver wins two stages and the overall at the Tour de Wallonie.
- 2027Becomes Modern Adventure Factor Racing
Factor steps up to co-title sponsor; Factor Racing folds in as the feeder.
- ~2031The goal
Field a roster capable of racing the Tour de France.
Who is Factor — and what do they race?
Factor is no WorldTour newcomer. Founded in 2016 by former pro and carbon-fibre specialist Rob Gitelis and based at the Hethel Engineering Centre in Norfolk, England, the brand has equipped AG2R La Mondiale (2017–2020) and Israel–Premier Tech (2020–2025), and runs its own wheel-and-component house, Black Inc.
The team races Factor's road line — headlined by the featherweight climbing bike, the Ostro VAM — while the brand's track pedigree runs deep: Australia's team pursuit squad won Olympic gold on Factor Hanzos at Paris 2024, setting a world record of 3:40.730.
What the cycling press makes of it
Independent verdicts from across the cycling press — follow each link for the full review.
A clear, time-boxed goal
“Tour de France participation within five years set as goal for new co-title sponsor Factor at Modern Adventure.”
Read the full reviewFactor doubles down
“Factor Bikes doubles down on Modern Adventure Pro Cycling's Tour de France ambitions, becomes co-title sponsor.”
Read the full reviewAmerican ambition, stated plainly
“Modern Adventure Factor Racing U.S. Team Targets Tour de France in Five Years.”
Read the full reviewFive years to the Tour: realistic?
- A proven debut — five wins and a Paris-Roubaix start in year one
- Deep experience in the car: Hincapie plus DS Bobby Julich
- Factor's engineering and Black Inc give a genuine equipment edge
- An integrated Continental feeder (Factor Racing) for young talent
- Already a ProTeam, so the licence ladder is half-climbed
- A ProTeam-to-WorldTour licence is a fierce, points-driven scramble
- Five years is aggressive versus the original 'by 2032' framing
- Multi-year funding and sponsor commitment must hold for the duration
- Retaining breakout riders against richer WorldTour teams is hard
- No recent US team has made the jump this quickly
Tap to vote — see how readers lean
Quick questions
What is Modern Adventure Factor Racing? +
It's the new 2027 name of Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, a US-registered UCI ProTeam founded by George Hincapie, after Factor Bikes stepped up from equipment supplier to co-title sponsor.
When does the rebrand happen and what's the Tour de France goal? +
The Factor co-title deal and the Modern Adventure Factor Racing name take effect in 2027. The stated goal is to field a team capable of racing the Tour de France within five years — around 2031.
What level does the team race at now? +
UCI ProTeam, the second tier, one rung below the WorldTour. ProTeams can earn wildcard invitations to bigger races — this one rode Paris-Roubaix in 2026.
Are there any South African riders? +
Yes. Time-trial specialist Stefan de Bod rides for the team and won the South African national time-trial title in February 2026; the roster also includes US, UK, Colombian, Canadian and New Zealand riders.
What bikes does the team race? +
Factor's road range, headlined by the lightweight Ostro VAM, backed by Black Inc wheels and components. Factor previously equipped Israel–Premier Tech and AG2R La Mondiale.
Sources & further reading
- Modern Adventure Factor Racing U.S. Team Targets Tour de France in Five Years — Bikerumor
- Factor deepens commitment to Modern Adventure Pro Cycling (official release) — Modern Adventure Pro Cycling
- Tour de France participation within five years set as goal for new co-title sponsor Factor — Cyclingnews
- Factor Bikes doubles down on Modern Adventure Pro Cycling's Tour de France ambitions — Cycling Weekly
- Factor Bikes becomes title sponsor of US team Modern Adventure Pro Cycling — endurance.biz
- Modern Adventure reveals new identity for 2027 in expanded Factor partnership — Cycling Up To Date
This is a bigger deal than a logo on a jersey. By becoming co-title sponsor and feeding its Continental squad into the team, Factor is buying into the infrastructure of an American Tour de France push, not just supplying it. Five years is bold — ProTeam squads rarely sprint up to the WorldTour — but a five-win debut, experienced leadership and a South African national champion on the books mean this is far from a vanity project. One to watch, whichever flag you wave.
