Harry Sweeny Joins EF Education-EasyPost, Eager to Reach Full Potential

The Australian cyclist, Harry Sweeny, is set to join EF Education-EasyPost in 2024 for his fourth season as a pro. The 25-year-old is looking forward to expanding his horizons and continuing to push his limits as a racer. Sweeny has already achieved notable successes in his young career, including winning Il Piccolo Lombardia as a U23 rider and finishing third on a stage in his rookie year at the Tour de France. However, he believes that his best is yet to come.

“My biggest ambition for the coming years is to reach my full potential as a rider,” Sweeny says. “I love all of the different disciplines within cycling and am really looking forward to exploring them more with EF Education-EasyPost. I would love to be a part of the team that goes to try to win the Tour de France or goes to try to win the Tour of Flanders. I really love winning as a team and getting the most out of myself, so that is really my biggest goal and to really enjoy what I am doing.”

Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of EF Education-EasyPost, expressed his excitement about Sweeny joining the team and highlighted his versatile skills as a cyclist. “Harry is going to be like a middle linebacker for us,” Vaughters says. “He is a strong guy who can climb and help riders like Marijn van den Berg in reduced bunch sprints. Harry also has a good nose for a breakaway, so I’m counting on him to continue our tradition of winning stages in grand tours out of breaks.”

Sweeny’s journey in cycling started later than most, as he initially pursued other sports such as soccer, rugby, and triathlon. However, after representing the Australian national team at the world championships in Richmond, Virginia, he decided to fully commit to cycling by moving to Belgium.

“My first few years in Europe were really amazing,” Sweeny recalls. “I was a young kid, living the life. It was really exciting. But then as soon as I signed pro, I realized that I had to rebuild my life, make new friends, find hobbies. I was missing all of the things that I had in Australia that I didn’t really realize that I had the whole time that I was growing up. When you are a U23, it is a really transitional period in your life, and it is really easy to just sort of coast through it and it doesn’t really matter what happens, but as soon as you actually make it, then it is about figuring out how to make it work and how to make the most out of it.”

One of the factors that attracted Sweeny to EF Education-EasyPost is its international character and open-mindedness. The team consists of riders and staff from various nationalities, offering a diverse and supportive environment for athletes away from home. Sweeny appreciates the team’s approach to cycling and life in general.

“The thing about the team that is really attractive to me is the open-mindedness about, not only how you get into the sport, but around the racing and the lifestyle,” Sweeny explains. “You really see that with the other projects that the team has. You are not just one thing, where that is all you can be in the team.”

Outside of cycling, Sweeny has a passion for cooking, camping, hiking, skiing, and even vlogging on YouTube. He is excited to bring his unique perspective and love for camaraderie to EF Education-EasyPost next year.

“I love the camaraderie in professional sport and being in team environments,” Sweeny shares. “That is what makes it really special for me and why I enjoy it. It is not so much for winning that I am a pro cyclist. It is more for the enjoyment of the sport and the enjoyment of the people around me.”

With his determination and enthusiasm, Harry Sweeny is sure to make a significant impact on EF Education-EasyPost and continue to push his boundaries in the years to come.