Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling today announced that Tom-Jelte Slagter and Dylan Van Baarle have re-upped with the team, and it has added young Dutch super talent, Wouter Wippert. While Cannondale-Garmin will be Wippert’s first World Tour team, the Dutch rider has already won at the World Tour level with a sprint victory at the 2015 Tour Down Under. The signings continue to bolster the strong core of young talented riders for the team’s future.
Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling, said “Tom-Jelte will look to build on the success of his fifth and sixth places in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Fleche Wallone in 2014. Next year, the Ardennes will be a big focus for him as he continues to hone his great skills and develop as a rider.”
Slagter added, “I'm very happy and excited to be part of Cannondale-Garmin for the next two years. It’s been a great experience for me and I’m proud to be part of this team. I can't wait to improve personally with the team and show that to all the fans who support us.”
Of Van Baarle, Vaughters said: “Dylan is an exceptional talent and will look to keep progressing in the cobbled Classics, building on his third place in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Dylan showed his strength in his first Tour de France this year and brought that forward with strong riding in the Eneco Tour. We look forward to seeing how he continues to grow as a rider and know that he has a huge future.”
Van Baarle agreed that he is in the best possible environment to develop himself further as a rider and work on specific goals, adding: “I'm very happy to sign again with Cannondale-Garmin. I feel a lot of trust with them and I'm looking forward to the next two years.”
25-year-old Wippert, according to Vaughters, is “an incredible up-and-coming sprint talent, and we are very excited to add him to the team. We have always been committed to developing young talent, and all three of these riders are young and talented. The upcoming two years will be important for them, and we look forward to helping them grow as athletes.”
Wippert, potentially one of the future sprinting superstars, had no doubt that Cannondale-Garmin had the best career plan ready for him: “After two fantastic learning years with Drapac, I'm ready for the next step in my career. Cannondale-Garmin is giving me the opportunity and guidance to succeed in the World Tour. Together we've made a plan for the next two years to develop myself as sprinter and that gives me a lot of confidence. I can't wait to start this new project!”
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