'I am home': ENVE and Alexey Vermeulen sign landmark career-long contract

Alexey Vermeulen has found his forever home.

The former WorldTour rider turned gravel privateer has announced a unique agreement with American carbon composites manufacturer ENVE that will keep the two partnered through the end of Vermeulen’s racing career, whenever that may be.

In a rapidly evolving discipline, defined by short-term contracts and constant change, the deal stands out as a rare statement of long-term belief, stability and two-way loyalty.

The announcement, shared via ENVE’s social channels, marks the extension of a relationship that began in 2021. Since then, both athlete and brand have grown in parallel, becoming closely linked with gravel’s rapid evolution and professionalisation.

“Growing up, I had a clear vision of what I thought it meant to be a professional cyclist,” Vermeulen said. “I saw the ability to challenge and push myself athletically, but also a platform to inspire and motivate people. When I started racing on the road, I found the former and lost the latter. That changed when ENVE approached me in 2021. From that moment, I’ve felt 100% aligned with the beliefs, innovations, and humans that make ENVE special. I am home, and with this agreement, I’m happy to be here until the end of my career.”

Originally from Michigan, Vermeulen started his cycling career as a promising U23 road talent with BMC’s development team before earning a two-year WorldTour contract with LottoNL-Jumbo (now Visma–Lease a Bike). He raced across Europe’s biggest stages, lining up at Monuments and WorldTour stage races, while also collecting strong results at U.S. national championships. By his early twenties, he was living the traditional pro cyclist dream, but the reality of life in the peloton began to dull the sense of purpose that first drew him to the sport.

When his WorldTour contract ended, Vermeulen chose a different path. Instead of chasing another team deal, he pivoted toward life as an independent racer, gradually carving out a niche across gravel, mountain bike, and alternative events. That move proved transformative. As gravel exploded in popularity, Vermeulen emerged as one of its most consistent and visible figures, becoming a Life Time Grand Prix mainstay and two-time overall runner-up. Along the way, he built a sustainable privateer career, both financially and creatively, redefining what success can look like outside the traditional team structure.

Beyond racing, Vermeulen has been deeply involved in athlete mentoring and in growing the sport as a viable pathway for young American racers.

All this laid the foundation for the long-term partnership he now shares with ENVE.

“Alexey brings far more than results,” ENVE said. “He challenges us to grow, contributes to athlete-development initiatives, and plays a key role in our R&D. We’re proud to have him with us now and into the future.”

At 31, Vermeulen shows no signs of slowing down, and with this agreement, ENVE is making a clear statement not just about the rider, but about its belief in the discipline as a whole.

Long-term contracts are rare in cycling, and, until now, virtually unheard of in gravel, where most athletes operate on short, season-by-season and sponsor-by-sponsor agreements. Deals like this may signal a new level of stability in the gravel sector.

Vermeulen’s focus now turns back to racing. In 2026, Vermeulen will again return to the Life Time Grand Prix, but first, he's off to Australia to race the RADL GRVL event. His pre-season will continue at Valley of Tears and The Mid South in March, and the Life Time Grand Prix kicks off on April 16 at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.