After several weeks of uncertainty, Gert Steegmans has found a new team for the coming season. The Belgian will be a key lead-out man and rider for the classics at Trek Factory Racing.
Trek Factory Racing is proud to announce the signing of Gert Steegmans. The 34-year-old Belgian brings a wealth of experience to TFR and will strengthen both the team’s Classics and sprinters contingent.
“I’m happy to have landed a team for 2015," Steegmans said. "I’ve been training hard these last weeks and now I can focus on training without having to worry about contract negotiations. Trek Factory Racing is a great team and has excellent support staff. It’s a young team, but the management has a clear, long-term vision.”
“We’re stoked to have Gert in the team," General Manager Luca Guercilena said. "I know him personally from the times where we were both at QuickStep. He’s one of the biggest engines in the peloton and he’s very motivated to have a great season. This is a last-minute signing for us and we’ll start working on Gert’s training schedule and race program right away.”
Steegmans will enter his 13th season as a professional rider and has a proven record in both one-day races and stage races. He earned his stripes as a first-rate teammate and as his team’s designated sprinter, most notably winning the prestigious sprint on the Champs-Elysées in the 2008 Tour de France. He has also won stages in Paris-Nice, the Ruta del Sol, the 4 Days of Dunkerque and won the overall and stages at the Circuit Franco-Belge.
“I’m excited to get to know many new faces, starting next week at the team camp in Spain. I hope to support Fabian (Cancellara) in the Cobblestone Classics and to share my experience with the young sprinters of the team”, concludes Steegmans.
Trek Factory will count 27 riders of 14 different nationalities in 2015, making it once more the most international team on the WorldTour.
Riders for 2015:
Eugenio Alafaci
Julian Arredondo
Fumiyuki Beppu
Matthew Busche
Fabian Cancellara
Marco Coledan
Stijn Devolder
Laurent Didier
Fabio Felline
Markel Irizar
Bob Jungels
Bauke Mollema
Giacomo Nizzolo
Yaroslav Popovych
Grégory Rast
Hayden Roulston
Fränk Schleck
Jesse Sergent
Fabio Silvestre
Gert Steegmans
Jasper Stuyven
Boy Van Poppel
Danny Van Poppel
Kristof Vandewalle
Calvin Watson
Riccardo Zoidl
Haimar Zubeldia
Rolando AMARGO 28 years | today |
Tom DERNIES 34 years | today |
Ahnad Fuat FAHMI 31 years | today |
Jeroen KREGEL 39 years | today |
Kevyn ISTA 40 years | today |
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