Legion of Los Angeles
Known for having the most successful lead out ever seen in US crits, L39ION of Los Angeles are a team driven by a purpose far beyond the podium.
08 June 2023
Founded in 2019 by brothers Justin and Cory Williams, it only took the team five months to secure their first state and national championships. At every race they enter, Legion’s tent is the place to be; their insightful race reports filmed from within the bunch have garnered a following of thousands online, and the team works hard to provide a pathway into the sport for young athletes from all backgrounds.
They are an unapologetic force looking to change the perception of cycling, in and outside of racing. Justin and Cory have built the US’ most dominant crit team whilst never straying from their mission of making cycling a more equitable and diverse sport, for both the racers and the fans. Never bending their own style to fit the mould of what a cyclist should look like, they’ve ripped up the rule book and changed the cycling scene to fit them.
TEAM ISSUE
From ambitious beginnings to a bold new vision for the future, this year’s Legion collection is the story of their start in the sport, written on their kit.
CHAPTER 1
Shaking up the sport from the start, whatever Legion have done, they’ve looked good doing it. Always bringing some much needed attitude and style to the crit scene, this year is no different. This team issue is all about stripping back the kit, reflecting the team’s original mission when Justin and Cory had to fight through the noise and against the odds to build their careers and become icons within a sport not set up for their success. The journey was hard but their vision was simple - to change the sport, forever. The collection features various symbols as part of the design, each signifying different stages of the team’s story. First and foremost is the lion, a symbol of their fighting spirit. From their hometown in south central LA, to race podiums across the country - their rise always was rooted in tenacity.
“In the beginning it was simple, it was just about riding bikes and having fun. When it came to a head, and we were no longer having fun, I got to spend a year on my own and be in a place where everything I was doing was everything I thought the sport could and should be. I told cory he should come along on this journey of doing it in a way that makes sense for us and people who look like us. And makes sense for where we want to see this sport go.”
CHAPTER 2
Legion have always known the value in being the change they want to see. Understanding the flaws of the system first-hand, they took their experiences and turned them into something positive. Rebelling against the model, they built a team rooted in their culture, on their terms - a haven for those unafraid to stand out.
Creating a place that offers opportunity and inspiration for youth and young riders, Legion holds a new kind of promise for those that see the world as they do, sharing values and experiences with a goal to allow people to be who they are. This environment is one that extends far beyond the barriers.
This year for Tulsa Tough, Legion’s personality-packed switch-out kit is inspired by the everyday values of the team’s ethos: stand out don’t fit in, question the status quo, carve your own path.
CHAPTER 3
When you look forward, there’s only one constant: change. But what’s left to change for a team that’s already made such deep waves in the sport? Their kit.
Inspired by changemakers in the wider sporting world, Legion have applied the same disruptive approach and energy they’re known for to their latest team kit. Their new two-sided, reversible, elite-level jersey represents the ultimate in single-garment performance. Seamless pockets sit flush against the body for storage when training, then hide away for minimal air turbulence when reversed for racing. Built to race, ready to ride. Legion’s own kit is sponsor-less on the training side, but for the rest of us, it’s reversed – so we can race in the very same jersey Legion do.
“Call it a flip of a switch, this jersey represents that change in mindset where you go from relaxing to game time. Ride to the race, then reverse it to get those aero gains.”
The Collection
The Pro Team Reversible Crit Racing Jersey is our first ever fully reversible, two-sided elite racing jersey. It is a completely new innovation, developed in partnership with Legion to fulfil the unique demands of training and racing on the US Crit Circuit. Legion's Chapter 3 team issue kit is available in extremely limited quantities for men, and will be made to order for women to most accurately meet the demand and ensure all fans of the team can represent the future of Legion.