A week before the Tour de France (open in new tab) began, Nielson Powles (open in new tab) was headed to Tirreno-Adriatico with the possibility of competing in the Giro d'Italia a few weeks later. But the American, who says he was "overwhelmed" by the Tour de France selection, has been one of EF Pro Cycling's (open in new tab) success stories since the race left Nice.

Ten days into the Tour de France, the 24-year-old was part of two important breakaways and finished in the top five on two stages. What makes these results even more impressive is that they come after spending the first week with the support of team leader and top-10 contender Rigoberto Urán.

"Most of the time you don't feel tired until you get on the bike and ride around a bit, but the energy level is surprisingly high overall because the first week was so hard," Powles told Cycling News on the evening of the first rest day of the race.

Powles' rest days came on stages 6 and 8, as the race headed into some of the steepest mountainous terrain in the Tour de France.

"Late in the race, once GC was confirmed, I thought I might have a chance depending on my overall classification. But my main hope was to run as a support for the other racers."

"I was not sure if I would have a chance to win the race, but I knew that I would have a good chance.

Indeed, after completing the Tour de Pollogne in early August, Powles was hoping to put his next race number on the Tirreno-Adriatico, not the Tour. He had been a longshot in EF Pro Cycling's Tour de France, but with such a truncated season imposed on pro cycling, it will be especially difficult in 2020 to make the squad for cycling's major event, the World Tour.

"About three days before I drove to Nice, I decided I was going to go to the Tour. I was in Andorra with another long list team, where I went through pre-race quarantine." The team wasn't at 100% until a week before the start, but everyone on the longlist was prepared to compete in the Tour.

"If I hadn't been selected, I would have been racing in Tirreno or the Giro d'Italia by now.

"I thought I was going to Tirreno. But when I got the call from Charlie Wegelius, I was very emotional. But when I got the call from Charlie Wegelius, I was filled with emotion.

Powles moved to EF Pro Cycling in the off-season after two years with Jumbo Visma. He took a steady but spectacular step with the Dutch team and made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España at the end of 2019.

But when the offer to ride with EF came along, he jumped at the chance and hasn't looked back since. His breakthrough in the Tour de France may come as a surprise to some, but it is a combination of growth, the environment he finds himself in, and hard work.

"Being at EF is very comfortable for me, it already feels like home and family from the first team camp. It's a great team and the effort the riders and staff put into everything they do is inspiring. I want to give back to them for all their hard work."

"Riding the Grand Tours last year has given me a positive outlook on things and I don't stress over one stage anymore. When you have the chance, you have to give it everything you have. Every time you go on a world tour, you become more durable and stronger.

"I think that's a possibility," he admits when asked if Jumbo Visma's Stacked Tour team would have been given limited options in the short term had they stayed with the Dutch team.

"Especially with the team Jumbo brought to this race. Each rider has a great background and it would have been very difficult to succeed as a team, but anything could have happened. I am a strong rider and I bring a lot of value to a team that is aiming for the overall classification of the Grand Tour, and I am happy that EF thought I would be of value to a team in the Tour."

Powles, like EF Pro Cycling, has many ambitions and goals left for this year's Tour de France. Uran looks to have at least a shot at a top-10 finish, and several climbers, including Powles, are likely to be options for a late-race breakaway.

The team is also in second place in the team standings, and Vegelius will likely set manageable but meaningful goals for the team's Tour roster for the remaining two weeks.

"We'll have to see how the race goes," Powles said.

"It depends on what the coach tells me. If I am asked to support Rigo, I will stay by his side as long as I can. Whenever I'm given a job, I just try to do it to the best of my ability."