EF-Education EasyPost have confirmed the signing of former Giro d'Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart. The British rider joins the American team from Lidl-Trek after a difficult few seasons recovering from injury.

The 2020 Giro winner, who formerly rode with INEOS, is hoping to re-find his spark with EF, who have confirmed the signing following the departure of Richard Carapaz to NSN Cycling Team on Friday.

Geoghegan Hart crashed heavily at the 2023 Giro, and didn't return until the following season and has struggled to find his best form in three seasons with Lidl-Trek. EF founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters believes that the team can help him get back to the top.

Vaughters said: “Tao is an incredibly gifted rider with the perseverance and stubbornness to come back from a horrific crash injury. While the fruits of his work to come back from injury have not blossomed yet, we are taking the bet that 2027 will be the year that this happens.”

Tao Geoghegan Hart

A fresh start for the British rider

For Geoghegan Hart, the move offers a fresh start and started with a simple conversation, noting that he's looking forward to riding the wave with some young riders in the team's ranks.

“It started with a very interesting, personal conversation with EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters – talking one-to-one about the difficulties I’ve had since the injury three years ago, ideas around that, and opportunities for the future,” Geoghegan Hart said.

“There are a lot of people on this team I’ve known for a long time, and also quite a few young riders I’ve got to know recently whom I’m excited to work alongside."

Like Vaughters, the London native is determined to get back to his best: "On a personal level, it’s really about trying to re-find the condition I had in my best years – the ceiling of that, the journey towards it, and the end results themselves. It’s an exciting prospect to come into a new environment with new ideas, new perspectives, and different people.”

Geoghegan Hart on Giro crash recovery

Noting that he feels fit and healthy, the 31-year-old offered an insight into his mentality when he reflected on his comeback from the 2023 fractured femur injury and its complications.

“In a split second in bike racing, so much can change, but in the end, nothing changes you. You might have different goals for the six to 12 months after a crash like that, a different experience coming back and different challenges, but in the end it’s always, from my experience, the same mentality and approach.

"It’s an extrapolation of what a lot of riders enjoy day to day: finding the pieces of the puzzle, working out your individual response and physiology and changing needs as an athlete, and maximizing the talent, genetics, and environment you have. One clear motivation for me is to really feel like I’m beyond it – in some ways I do, and in other ways I don’t, which is always an interesting thing to encounter.

He summarised: "Three and a half years is a long time, but it also went by very quickly, and you don’t necessarily feel quite back to where you were before. It’s a big experience to undergo as an athlete. You take it as it comes and try to do your best each day.”