FUN IS FAST: 3 CATS RACING ANNOUNCES 2026/2027 JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT CYCLING TEAM ROSTER

Virginia junior development team enters its second season with a growing roster, new 3 Kittens Devo program, Fox Factory Grassroots support, and a season of racing that stretched from the Mid-Atlantic to Mexico.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — October 7, 2026 — One year ago, 3 Cats Racing set out to disrupt the status quo: building a national-level junior cycling team founded by student athletes, where young riders could push their limits, develop discipline, embrace new challenges, and, above all, discover friendship and joy on two wheels together. We believe development should be serious and fun, a little bit quirky, and always a celebration, a rolling festival that everyone wants to join.

One year later, the team has a lot of miles to show for it. During the 2025/2026 season, 3 Cats riders competed across Virginia and the East Coast and traveled to Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Jalisco, Mexico, racing everything from XC and downhill to gravel, endurance, road and cyclocross.

Along the way came Virginia State Championships, national-level results, podium sweeps, international racing and life lessons that come from travel, goal setting and perseverance. We have raced in the rain, the blazing Virginia heat and everything in between.  Now, 3 Cats Racing is entering its second season with a larger development pipeline, a new Kittens Program for younger riders, and a roster built around the same philosophy that started it all: Fun is Fast.

A SEASON OF UNBELIEVABLE ADVENTURES

The 2025/2026 season was crazy and possibly a little overreaching, but it was also something even more beautiful; it was life-changing for everyone - riders, staff, parents. It was a case study in what is possible through community.  At the Virginia State Mountain Bike XC Championships, Middle School athletes Lia Hultgren and Seth Kidd both claimed State Championship titles. In the U.S. Pro Cup in Fayetteville, Arkansas, 3CR racers finished in the Top 20 against one of the strongest junior fields in the country.

Riders took on NICA and VAHS seasons, the Appalacian Journey, Wilderness 100, SM 100k, Monster Cross, RVA Ride the Ridge and more events than I can manage to count. Athletes combined mountain bike racing with a season of skiing and patrolling at Wintergreen, while racing across road, MTB and cyclocross, including USA Cycling Junior Road Nationals and Tour of America's Dairyland. Unbound, in Emporia Kansas, was a massive undertaking - earning the moniker, Mudbound, for one of the most difficult races due to weather conditions in a very long time.

THE 2026/2027 JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT CYCLING TEAM ROSTER

3 Cats Racing will field athletes across high school, U23 and middle school divisions, with individualized coaching, race support and winter development programs combining local and regional series like NICA and VAHS with national series like the US Pro Cup and USA Cycling Endurance Nationals. 

HIGH SCHOOL & U23 SQUAD

• Sam  (U23)

• Mat 

• Owen 

• Nathan 

• Dylan 

• Khanh 

• Piper 

MIDDLE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

• Lia 

• Seth 

• Forrest 

3 KITTENS DEVO

• Soren

• Amaris

• Neimiah

• Haven

FOCUSED TRAINING, RACE PREP & TECHNICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR NICA AND VAHS ALUMNI

Alongside the team roster, 3 Cats offers one-on-one coaching with Erik Hultgren, with training plans built around the individual athlete, their goals, race calendar and current level of development.

That work includes individualized training, race preparation, technical skills development and constant refinements as the athlete progresses. It also gives riders a path to continue developing as they move from junior racing into collegiate competition and beyond.

The U23 and collegiate race progression is particularly interesting because for many riders the support and camaraderie with their high school leagues abruptly drops off with graduation, leaving riders to wonder how to progress and prepare for post high school life on a bike. Having focused training and guidance during this translation leads to undeniable success. One athlete used the training to transition from his NICA mountain bike league to racing road bikes with the Roanoke College collegiate team. He won both the Cat 2 XCO and Cat 2 Short Track events at Virginia Tech after spending a summer winning local criteriums and learning to work as part of a road cycling team. The same development process that starts with young riders on local trails can continue as athletes take on bigger fields, new disciplines and higher levels of competition. 

UP AND COMING - THE FUTURE OF OUR JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT CYCLING TEAM - 3 KITTENS DEVO

Designed for the younger siblings of the 3 Cats, who are just beginning their cycling journey, 3 Kittens Devo is built around the habits that make long-term athletic development possible.

The goals are intentionally simple and low pressure. Get good, consistent sleep, eat a vegetable or two every day, and ride for 30 minutes, four times a week. For each accomplishment, younger athletes receive stickers and rewards on a chart built around the concept that library summer reading programs have utilized for decades.

The goal is to help younger riders build healthy habits, get comfortable on bikes and discover that riding can be something they love. It also hopes to even out fitness that can often be seasonal with school mountain biking programs.

EXPERIENCE AT THE FRONT OF THE PROGRAM

The team is student athlete led. That can confuse some interested in the program but while the juniors set the races and their own goals, take the lead in marketing/design and sponsor procurement, they are not alone. 3CR  co-founders Beth Seliga and Erik Hultgren help guide the program and support the student athletes. The pair brings decades of experience in racing, professional cycling, youth development and team operations. Seliga previously served as CFO and VP of Finance for the Slipstream/5280 professional cycling program, which developed into Garmin-Cannondale and ultimately today's EF Education-EasyPost WorldTour program.

Hultgren coached junior athletes through the ACA Mudskippers and 5280 Junior Development Team, working during an important period in Colorado junior cycling that included athletes such as Taylor Phinney, Alex Howes and Peter Stetina.

2026/2027 PARTNERSHIPS AND SPONSORS

Our sponsors and partners are everything to us. So much of cycling is mental. The gear and equipment are just things, but the gifts our sponsors give are much more. They’re a sign that 3 Cats Racing is part of a much bigger community and that every one of our partners believes as deeply as we do in what we’re trying to achieve. Their support proves our goals matter and we ride knowing we are never alone. 

Fox Factory Grassroots – Quite literally the gold standard in cycling. When we were invited to apply for the Fox Factory Grassroots program by Wren after a relatively benign customer service chat and then when we were ultimately accepted, we lost our minds. It signaled to the greater cycling community that what we are building at 3 Cats Racing is truly worthy. This distinction brought huge pride and excitement, and reminded us that our quirky, fun, and sometimes crazy team had its own vibe—capturing the attention of massive national and international brands.

Tifosi Optics - Tifosi Optics was the very first to support our vision, and their partnership made an immediate, tangible difference at Monticello. When every rider received their own pair of Tifosi sunglasses, you could see the spark—shoulders back, heads high, a new confidence radiating from the start line. It was more than just gear; it was a visible show of belief in every athlete. Lining up in those fresh glasses, our team looked and felt ready for anything. In that moment, the dream felt real, and anything seemed possible.

Blue Ridge Cyclery - If you ride a bike in Virginia, you know Jip and Shawn. Their commitment to the cycling community runs deep, and their support of our team is no exception. It’s hard to put into words how much they mean to us. They believe in 3 Cats Racing so deeply that Jip is not just a partner; she’s one of our trusted growth advisors. Their faith and involvement make us stronger and remind us what real community looks like.

Skratch Labs - Ian MacGregor and Dr. Allen Lim, both part of the original Slipstream vision, have never hesitated to roll up their sleeves and champion this next generation of riders. Whether it’s cheering us on from afar or enthusiastically backing our wildest ideas—like serving Skratch Snow Cones at USA Cycling Endurance Nationals—they bring energy, creativity, and unwavering support. Their actions speak volumes: they don’t just believe in junior development; they actively make it happen, helping to foster a culture where every rider feels seen, valued, and inspired to dream bigger.

Cropp Design - Melissa from Cropp Design made our first hoodies and has brought teenage apparel dreams to life with each major milestone. We love our casual wear and how quickly she can get us our new items. Her creativity and responsiveness keep our team looking sharp and feeling like a family, on and off the bike. And it is no joke, I once sold the hoodie off my back at Danville because someone absolutely HAD to have it.

Handup - No one else has these vibes. Our riders love Handup’s spirit and style, and you can always spot them by their dirt surfing gloves—like at NICA race #3 at Mulberry, where they tackled peanut butter mud with grins and colorful hands. Handup gets what junior racing is about: energy, grit, fun, and not taking yourself too seriously, no matter how tough the course.

FloBikewear - From my very first call, Brent at Flo has been kind, receptive, and just got us. Our kids are growing; they love to get their kit filthy, but they also want to look like racers—not just a little local club. Flo brings it all together for us: race-ready kit, great chamois, pockets for phones, and bright, vibrant colors that last wash after wash. We can't imagine doing this without them.