Levine Law Group Elite Women’s Cycling Team Expands Mission for 2021, Works to Form 501(c)3

Feb 11

The Levine Law Group Elite Women’s Cycling Team (LLG Cycling) is proud to announce their 2021 program, partners, and roster. In their fourth year as an elite women’s team in the U.S, LLG Cycling will continue to focus on national level criteriums while also adding a charitable component to the program, filing for 501(c)3 non-profit status with the aim of introducing women into the sport of cycling and supporting their journeys.

As the program continues to grow, with the backing of Levine Law Group of Mooresville, N.C., the team will reprise relationships with many of their 2020 partners for the 2021 season. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting nearly all events on hold throughout the planned 2020 season, team sponsors jumped on board with the team’s “do-over” philosophy, with much of the same roster and sponsors heading into 2021 together with new and revised goals. With racing on hold last year, the team was able to focus its energy towards a slight shifting of gears which led toward the goal of forming a new 501(c)3.

Levine Law Group remains the title sponsor of the program for 2021 and is a driving force behind the team’s growth and upward trajectory.

“We are super excited to continue our partnership with Levine Law Group,” says LLG Cycling team founder John Croom. “While Mike (Levine), Levine Law and myself may have started this team, this group of women provide the heart and hustle as they balance full-time careers, school, and families with their extensive training and now with their commitment to a mission to further support and welcome new women into the sort of cycling.”

For a fourth year, LLG Cycling will compete in the USA CRITS Series D1 team program. Teams from across the U.S. and Canada will compete in the series’ elite division, where D1 teams agree to participate in the entire USA CRITS series, which in years past has included upwards of 10 races spread across the calendar.

However, even as the calendar begins to take shape and teams begin to work towards a return to racing, all riders who have signed with LLG for 2021 have collectively agreed that they will not participate in any races this year until they have been fully vaccinated. As the global pandemic rages on, riders fully believe that the risk is too great as serious athletes, with the long term effects of the virus remaining yet unknown, as well as the risk they would create for their fellow teammates, as well as family, friends, and co-workers at home. LLG Cycling will continue to participate in virtual racing and other efforts in support of their sponsors until it is safe to return to the roadways en mass.

For a second year, LLG Cycling riders will wear cycling and casual apparel from Eliel Cycling, of Vista, CA, featuring the team’s signature bright and colorful look. With an emphasis on fun first, Eliel and LLG will work together to find new ways to keep the momentum rolling through 2021 as we look forward to being able to have fun in person together again.

“The vision for Eliel has always been to be the Best of the Best, knowing riding bikes is about FUN, so we always approach things with this in mind. We’re inclusive and want to share the FUN of bikes with riders of all stripes. From our inception, we have been driven to make women’s-specific patterns to offer the best fit, style and performance anywhere. Based on the reviews, we’re achieving our goals,” said Ryan Cady, Eliel Founder. “For 2021, Eliel has committed itself to supporting women’s cycling on many levels. Our partnership with the Levine Law Group Elite Women’s Cycling Team is an important element of our commitment. The team brings an ultra-competitive and highly-visible group of athletes together to spread the FUN across the country which will help to highlight the design and fit features that make Eliel’s women’s gear so amazing. We know 2020 was a trying year in the sport of cycling, but by working together with teams like Levine Law Group Cycling we believe we can all come back in 2021 stronger than ever. No matter what this year brings, Eliel and Levine Law Group Cycling will make sure we’re at the party and cranking up the FUN.”

For the 2021 season LLG riders will train and compete on Cannondale CAAD 13 bikes, maintaining their partnership with the Connecticut based bicycle manufacturer. Continuing to set the standard for aluminum bikes, Cannondale’s CAAD 13 is the perfect criterium race machine to carry the team to the top step across new challenges and adventures.

LLG also welcomes returning partner Lazer as the official helmet sponsor of the program, and a new relationship with ROKA for the 2021 season.

The 2021 roster boasts a near complete return of the 2020 competitors, eager to return to racing and complete the goals they set out to reach last year. Returning riders, including Emma Bast. Bast, a podium finisher in the 2019 USA CRITS Series, will lead the way as she enters her 13th year of racing and her fourth year with the team. Alongside her will be Canadian lieutenant Rachel Canning, returning for her third year with the team, after a number of strong performances in 2019, including a 4th place finish at the Littleton Twilight Criterium.

Returning to the racing roster for 2021 will be California native Hayley Bates, who, in addition to racing, has stepped into an administrative role with the team, supporting team director Lauren LeClaire in managing sponsor relations and coordinating efforts to form the new non-profit organization.

New to the team’s small development squad for 2021 will be Kate Seiler, of Louisville, KY. Seiler, who recently aged out of the Twenty20 Junior Development program, will compete with the LLG Women once she finishes her collegiate season with Colorado Mesa University.

The LLG team roster (to date):

Emma Bast (Palmerton, PA.)
Rachel Canning (Bowen Island, B.C.)
Hayley Bates (Monrovia, CA)
Kate Canady (Trent Woods, NC)
Abby Krawczyk (Memphis, TN)
Ava Hachmann (Durango, CO)
Allison Schroeder (Boulder, CO)
Dakota Topp, Development Team (Anthem, AZ)
Kate Selier, Development Team (Louisville, KY)
Lauren LeClaire, Team Director (Sutton, MA)

Official team social media profiles include:
facebook.com/levinelawgroupcyclingteam
Instagram: @LLGwomenscycling
Twitter: @LLGcycling

About Levine Law Group:

Michael J. Levine co-founded Mills and Levine, PA in 1998 before solely taking the firm over in 2015, creating Levine Law Group, PA. The practice concentrates in the areas of personal injury, workers’ compensation, nursing home neglect, and complex litigation. Levine Law Group will work closely with their clients and are as aggressive as necessary in pursuing the compensation that is needed and deserved. Levine Law Group believes strongly in holding individuals and companies to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and values.