CCC Team will bring a mix of youth and experience to Spain, with more than half of the team making their debut in a three-week race Sports Director, Jackson Stewart explained.
“We will go to the Vuelta a España with less of a General Classification focus but, we will rally behind Víctor de la Parte and support him in his home tour. We will start motivated to perform well in the team time trial and take every opportunity we can in the breakaways throughout the race,” Stewart said.
“Patrick Bevin and Will Barta are very motivated for the time trial events and both have proven that are capable of delivering a good result on those stages. Jonas Koch, together with Szymon Sajnok, and guided by Fran Ventoso, will look for some success in the few sprint stages, while PaweÅ‚ Bernas and Nathan Van Hooydonck will have opportunities throughout the race to ride aggressively in the breakaways. It looks like a dynamic Vuelta route and we have several riders excited to ride their first Grand Tour."
Vuelta a España (24 August - 15 September)
Rider Roster:
Will Barta (USA): First time racing
I am absolutely thrilled to be starting in my first Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España and I would like to thank CCC Team for giving me this opportunity. I’m hoping to gain a lot of experience and see how I can carry myself over a three-week race. In the race, I would like to help others and take any opportunities that present themselves for me. I am also looking forward to Stage 10, which is an individual time trial. I think my form is good at the moment, as I have been putting in some good training in Nice, and hopefully, the time riding in the hot weather here will pay off in Spain.
Paweł Bernas (POL): First time racing
It’s my first Grand Tour and one of the goals is to finish the race. I also want to showcase myself in the breakaways and ride aggressively. This is the plan and we will see how the race will go. In the Grand Tours, some of the breakaways make it to the line and some don’t, so you need to have some luck as well. I will definitely look for any opportunity and hopefully, that will turn into some nice result. After the Tour de Pologne, I’m getting back to my top form. I was racing quite a lot lately at a high level and at the end of the Tour de Pologne, I felt that my legs were tired. I’ve had a chance to get some rest and start the proper preparation for the Vuelta in Mallorca by doing longer training rides and some speed sessions. I believe that my form is exactly where I need it to be and I should line up at the start of this three-week race in optimal shape.
Patrick Bevin (NZL): 2016
I’m very excited to be back for the Vuelta a España. My motivation is super high after recovering from broken ribs and I’m really looking forward to pinning a number on again. My major goal is the time trial, although I feel like it’s going to be a Vuelta with a number of opportunities to really have a go at stage results as the race develops. I have done my final preparation in Andorra so, I’m really looking forward to the stage which is held there, where I know what lies ahead when they drop the flag.
Víctor de la Parte (ESP): First time racing
I am really happy to make my debut in my home Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. It’s been a long time since my last race but, I have been working very hard at the altitude training camp in Andorra in the past month. Due to lack of racing, the first week may not be easy for me but, I’m very motivated to start the race off on a good note. There are some hard stages ahead of us, which should suit me and for sure I will try to enjoy the mountains where I feel at my best.
Jonas Koch (GER): First time racing
I'm really looking forward to the race. The high altitude training camp in Livigno was very important, as I was able to cover hundreds of kilometers in the mountains there. I also had some good weeks of training at home so, my form should be optimal. It's my first Grand Tour and of course, you want to finish it on your first attempt and I also want to give it a go in the breakaways on stages which suit me. In the sprint, I'm ready to both support the team or go for a result myself.
Szymon Sajnok (POL): First time racing
I’m trying to approach the Vuelta a España without too much stress and expectations. It’s going to be my first long race, but I’m optimistic and ready to fight. My goal is to get a nice result on the flat stages. Even though I had a few crashes and had to miss the Tour de Pologne, I feel that my form is still good and I’m very motivated to showcase myself. I’ve been preparing for the race in sunny Mallorca, where I’m with my coach and will try to get used to the Spanish weather which we will have to deal with in the upcoming weeks.
Nathan Van Hooydonck (BEL): First time racing
I don't really know what to expect from my first Grand Tour. Obviously, I want to perform well in the opening team time trial, as I have worked hard on this with my personal coach and team’s Head of Performance, Marco Pinotti. As for the rest of the race, I would like to represent the team in the breakaways and see how far I can get. I believe that my form is good. I spent some time at an altitude and I feel like I am climbing pretty well for a classics guy. I also went on a mini-training camp to Luxembourg to do some intense and specific work on both the road bike and the TT bike and I look forward to testing myself across the upcoming three weeks.”
Francisco Ventoso (ESP): 2018, 2017, 2015, 2006 (winner: stage 3), 2005
My goal for the Vuelta a España is to try to win a stage and it doesn’t matter if it’s me or somebody else from our team. Winning a stage is the most important objective for us and we will do everything we can to accomplish that. I believe that my form is good. After the Giro d’Italia, I haven’t raced much but, I did a long block of altitude training in Andorra, where I spent one month. After that, I did two races in Belgium and one in London and I feel strong. I’m confident in myself and in our team and I believe we can win a stage in Spain. Another important goal is to take the leader’s jersey and to do that we need to do really well on the first day of racing, in the team time trial.
Sports Directors: Jackson Stewart (USA), Gabriele Missaglia (ITA)
