The annual December training camp for Trek-Segafredo is underway in Spain as the entire team has congregated for the first time to build towards a successful 2017.  With 11 new riders on the roster, the preseason camp is an opportunity for team bonding as well as the usual, often tedious tasks, of bike fitting, interviews, photo and video shoots, and meetings.

Obviously, there is plenty of time set aside for pedaling the shiny new Treks, along with core stability, strength exercises, and stretching, but fitting it all in makes for long days.

Trek-Segafredo General Manager Luca Guercilena explained that the camp is the best start to building good personal relations amongst the team, a big challenge with all the new faces. It is also a time to set the direction – or goals – for the new season, and the bar has been set high.

"As I said before, we want to be more competitive everywhere, so we have to be ready right from January," said Guercilena. "Our goal is to be the best team next year, and this means every rider must be mentally prepared and come with the intent to win. We cannot be content with top 10 or 20. There will be no excuses.

"We believe we have made the best effort possible - we don’t have just one leader for each race, now we will have more possibilities to be present as a strong team, to be present with different leaders. Even though it is difficult to make a forecast, the aim is to be substantially more successful next year. I'm convinced we will!"

The team have signed several new riders, including new leaders Alberto Contador and John Degenkolb.

Trek-Segafredo 2017 Roster

Continuing Riders

Eugenio Alafaci (ITA), Fumiyuki Beppu (JPN), Julien Bernard (FRA), Marco Coledan (ITA), Laurent Didier (LUX), Fabio Felline (ITA), Markel Irizar (ESP), Bauke Mollema (NED), Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), Grégory Rast (SUI), Kiel Reijnen (USA), Peter Stetina (USA), Jasper Stuyven (BEL), Edward Theuns (BEL), Boy Van Poppel (NED), Haimar Zubeldia (ESP).

New Riders

Matthias Brändle (AUT), André Cardoso (POR), Alberto Contador (ESP), Koen de Kort (NED), Greg Daniel (USA), John Degenkolb (GER), Michael Gogl (AUT), Ruben Guerreiro (POR), Jesús Hernández (ESP), Jarlinson Pantano (COL), Mads Pedersen (DEN).