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Nov 11, 2020 - Trek-Segafredo has inked three new contracts, bringing in a trio of youthful and ambitious riders for the next two years.
Luca Guercilena, Trek-Segafredo General Manager: "We are happy to welcome Amanuel, Antonio, and Mattias to the Trek-Segafredo family. After consolidating the Team with some important renewals, we decided to include three new riders able to give us an added value in perspective of the future.”
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
Ghebreigzabhier joins Trek-Segafredo after three seasons as a professional, during which time he has competed in four Grand Tours, twice on the start line of the Giro and the Vuelta. The 26-year-old Eritrean has proven his ability as a support rider in the mountains and has taken opportunities in breakaways targeting stage wins. Ghebreigzabhier has also enjoyed success in Africa with victories in the African Continental Championship road race (2018), Eritrean National road race (2014), and is the current Eritrean National time trial champion.
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier: "I am very happy with the new experience that I'm going to start with Trek-Segafredo. I have always had a very positive image of the Team, both for the quality of the riders and for the global and modern cycling policy. For me, it will be a great opportunity for growth that I intend to make the most of.
"Since I turned professional in 2018, I have had the opportunity to gain significant experience in stage races. My first goal is to improve further in these endurance races, especially in the Grand Tours. The idea of racing with champions like Nibali, for example, makes me excited. I really can't wait to meet my new Team."
Luca Guercilena: "Ghebreigzabhier is already an established rider, but we believe he has plenty of room for improvement. His profile was what we were looking for - a solid and still young climber to invest in. We see great potential in Amanuel and hope that by working together, we can help him fulfil that potential. He will be a valuable asset to the Team, especially to support our leaders in the mountains during stage races."
Antonio Tiberi
Last year the Team announced that Antonio Tiberi had signed a contract with Trek-Segafredo for 2021 after winning the Junior World Championship time trial in Harrogate. The intention of waiting an extra year before stepping up to the WorldTour was to give Tiberi the chance to race more as an Under-23 and continue his development with Colpack Ballan, a Continental cycling team from Italy.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, fortunately, there was still a fair amount of racing in Italy after the initial lockdown period. The young Italian raced the Giro d'Italia U23 in September, one of the key reference races for Under-23 riders. He took third in the opening stage and finished third overall in the youth classification for riders under 20 years of age. Of Tiberi's 2020 season, the crowning jewel was a win at the Trofeo Città di San Vendemiano where he soloed to victory, 55 seconds ahead of the chasing bunch. He finished the year in sampling a taste of what's to come by racing as a stagiaire for Trek-Segafredo at Brabantse-Pijl. With a solid year in the back pocket, it's time to welcome Tiberi to the Team full-time.
Antonio Tiberi: "I have dedicated the 2020 season to preparing myself for the final passage into the professional world, and I definitely feel ready. The first race of the year was the Trofeo Laigueglia, just to understand what was waiting for me. Passing from junior races to the professionals was like a slap; painful but extremely useful. From there, I worked to grow and improve, thanks also to the advice I got from the Team.
"The debut as a stagiaire at Brabantse Pijl was a huge emotion. The guys gave me a warm welcome, and I felt an incredible group strength. The race was tough, almost a second slap because racing a semi-classic in Belgium is a gruelling experience. 2021 will serve to make a further step of growth. I'm ambitious, but this year I realized that to reach the goal I have in mind, I need to keep my feet on the ground and to learn. I am happy to know that I will have good examples to refer to."
Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Trek-Segafredo continues its investment in youth talent by signing Mattias Skjelmose Jensen, who joins from the Leopard Pro Cycling program. The 20-year-old Dane had his first taste of racing as a professional when he first rode with Trek-Segafredo as a stagiaire this year. The 20-year-old Dane stepped up to race a string of one-day races, including the Trofeo Matteotti and Brabantse-Pijl, where he impressively bridged across to the breakaway despite being the second-youngest rider in the race.
Skjelmose Jensen is a strong rider with a particular strength in time trials, as shown by his winning results in Junior Nations Cup events. The Dane can also perform well in tough one-day races: in 2019, he placed third in the 1.2 ranked Fyen Rundt racing against senior professionals. Skjelmose Jensen will have the opportunity to develop these talents and learn to race as a professional during his neo-pro years at Trek-Segafredo.
Mattias Skjelmose Jensen: "First of all, I'm super happy for the Team to give me this opportunity, to be a WorldTour rider for the next two years at least. As for a lot of riders, it has been a childhood dream of mine to become professional. With myself and Trek-Segafredo, I see a really good communication and connection, and I really think that is important to develop the most as a rider. I met the Team last December in Sicily, and already there I got a great feeling where everyone jokes together as well as supporting each other. That was really important for me.
"As a stagiaire, I rode for Trek-Segafredo in Italy and Belgium, and I could feel that the whole team was very supportive about the whole process. It makes it much easier to perform when all you have to do is focus on the race. For me, that's a game-changer. With this Team, I believe I will be able to race to my best ability."
Luca Guercilena: "The official passage to the professionalism of Tiberi and Skjelmose Jensen is the conclusion of a growth process started together over a year ago. We believed in their talent, we followed them this season, and we are ready to see them blossom among the pros. They will find an ideal environment to grow without feeling the pressure of having to prove anything. They will ride with successful riders from whom they can learn, and our goal for 2021 is to see them grow race after race."
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