Image 1 of 5 Adam Myerson (Astellas) gets called to the line. (Image credit: Jonathan Devich) Image 2 of 5 Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart) on the climb (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 3 of 5 The scenic Greenwich Bay serves as a backdrop for the weekend's racing. Here, series founder and president Adam Myerson sprints up a climb. (Image credit: Todd Prekaski) Image 4 of 5 Cyclo-Smart founder Adam Myerson was racing the event for the 25th time (Image credit: Dave McElwaine) Image 5 of 5 Adam Myerson (Astellas) celebrates his win in the Neenah Criterium (Image credit: Karl Hendrikse)

Carrying a mission statement, "Do what's right for cycling," Toronto-based bike builders KindHuman Bicycles announced Monday that they will launch a new UCI Professional Continental team and a women's team in 2017. The team will also hire recently retired racer Adam Myseron as the general manager.

Adam Abramowicz said in a statement that the KindHuman Pro Cycling Project "will be a collaborative project to further improve the quality of our bicycles while crafting a kinder culture to what has previously existed at the professional levels of our sport.

“Our men's and women's teams will provide us with in-depth feedback that will directly influence the development of our products.

"We've accomplished a lot in a very short time at KindHuman Bicycles. Our bikes have won national championships, UCI events and were recently ridden to a team overall at the USA Crits Series. This is a natural progression for us. We are excited to share our bikes and our culture with fans at the highest level of the sport."

Abramowicz also highlighted the importance of building a sustainable platform for professional cycling and its stakeholders, while also taking care of their riders' health and well-being.

"Professional cycling has never been as popular as it is today and the sport is changing at a rapid pace," he said. "We believe that there are a lot of positive changes happening for both men's and women's cycling and we want to be a big part of that positive change.

"Through this team we will foster an environment that encourages good decision making; our commitment will be unwavering in the pursuit for clean sport."

Myerson, from Massachusetts, retired from professional bike racing while racing for Astellas Pro Cycling at the end of the 2015 season, after a two-decade-long career on the American road and cyclo-cross racing circuits. Myerson is also a race organizer and coach, and he has worked with the UCI's Cyclo-cross Commission.

"We've spent two years sponsoring Adam but nearly our entire careers following him as fans. When we set out to develop this team, there was no person more qualified to manage it," Abramowicz said.