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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, October 25, 2024

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Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates agree to 6-year contract extension

Here’s the team’s announcement:

UAE Team Emirates, the newly crowned UCI World Tour Best Team for 2024, is delighted to announce that World Champion Tadej Pogačar has signed a contract extension with the team until 2030.

Tadej Pogačar joined UAE Team Emirates in 2019 and has enjoyed an incredible career to date. Since joining the team, Pogačar has accumulated 88 wins across General Classifications, Stage Racing and One-Day Classics – a remarkable testament to his talent and dedication across all racing formats.

Tadej Pogacar wins the 2024 Il Lombardia. Sirotti photo

Pogačar, who was recently named UCI World Tour Best Rider for the fourth consecutive season, had a 2024 season unlike any other. The superstar Slovenian secured victories at the Tour de France and Giro D’Italia, as well as notable one day victories at Strade Bianche, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia to name a few, along with becoming UCI World Champion after a performance for the ages in Zurich.

Pogačar’s triple crown – Giro D’Italia, Tour de France, and World Championships – hasn’t been achieved by a rider since Stephen Roche in 1987, and his 25 victories in 58 days of racing set a single season record that’s never been seen in professional cycling.

[Ed: But let us not forget the record for race wins in one season is owned by the great Freddy Maertens, who won 54 races in 1976.]

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Tadej Pogačar: “I am extremely proud to be extending my time here at UAE Team Emirates. This team has been my home now the last five years and I truly can’t imagine myself anywhere else. The best moments of my career have come at UAE Team Emirates and that is a testament to all of the staff, management, teammates, and partners who all allow me to perform at the highest level. I’m really excited for the future. This team gives me the best chance at fighting for wins and that is exactly what I aim to do.”

Mauro Gianetti, Team Principle and CEO of UAE Team Emirates: “It’s an incredible feeling to be able to announce this contract extension for Tadej Pogacar, the leader of our team and the best cyclist in the world. Tadej joined the team as an ambitious 20-year-old, and we have watched him blossom into a Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and World Champion this season. His talent is clear for all to see, but he is also one of the hardest working and dedicated cyclists in the peloton. Tadej deserves all of his success and I’m delighted he is staying with us for many years to come.”

H.E Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, President of UAE Team Emirates: “This is a special moment for the team and for cycling here in the UAE. Tadej is an incredible talent that represents the UAE so amazingly. He is a beacon of inspiration for the next generation, and is idolized and loved by so many. It has been a privilege watching him develop into the person he is today, and I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s accomplished for our team. As we continue to see our sport go from strength to strength across the region, there is no question that Tadej, alongside his teammates, are a massive reason for this. It’s a special day for cycling and we are so excited for the future.”


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Samuele Battistella signs with EF Education-EasyPost

Here’s the team’s news:

EF Education-EasyPost is proud to announce that Samuele Battistella will join the team beginning in 2025.

The Italian shot to fame in 2019, winning the rainbow jersey in the U23 World Championships road race in Yorkshire, England and has raced in the WorldTour for the last five seasons.

Hailing from Veneto, Italy but now residing in Monaco, the 25-year-old will strengthen the team in several areas and is looking to reignite his career in EF Education-EasyPost kit from the start of next year.

Samuele Battistella racing in the 2022 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo

“I’ve seen this team race every year since I turned professional and they’ve always raced in the right way. They’re always attacking, never surrender and provide all their riders with opportunities. It always feels like there’s space for every rider on the team and that was very attractive to me. In modern-day cycling, it’s hard to find teams that will give you opportunities. EF Education-EasyPost is one of those teams,” an excited Samuele told us.

A former winner of the Veneto Classic one-day race, Battistella has raced in the WorldTour since 2020 and he felt ready for a new challenge. After talking to several riders already on the EF Education-EasyPost roster his mind was quickly set on joining the team.

“I talked to a few friends before joining. Everyone I spoke to said the same thing, that EF Education-EasyPost is an amazing team and is super professional. Once I heard that I talked to my agent because I wanted to sign for this team immediately,” he said.

“From the outside, you can see that all the riders on EF Education-EasyPost race together and you can see that their preparation is really amazing. They put so much detail into the small things, and moving to this team will help me take the next step in my career,” Samuele said before elaborating on his hopes and goals.

“The most important aim for me is to find myself next year. In the last few years, I lost myself a little bit and I want to get back to winning and racing at a high level. At the same time I want to improve and help the team and my new teammates as much as possible,” he said.

With one eye on races like the Ardennes Classics, and hopes of racing the Giro d’Italia next May, he is eager to get going in his new kit. Moreover, he’s been a huge fan of the team’s endeavors on social media, and the chance to enhance the message of our title sponsor was another major draw to the team.

“I’m not saying this just because I’m joining but to me, EF Education-EasyPost are one of the coolest-looking teams in the peloton,” Samuele said.

“Their social media, with the posts and the stories and reels, they’re always amazing. As sponsor, EF Education also has a great message for young people who are keen to learn languages, travel and see the world. Wearing that on my jersey is something I’ll be very proud to do.”

Battistella has racked up over a dozen top tens in the last two years, with high placings in races such as the Tour de Pologne, Itzulia Basque Country and Paris-Nice. The aim is to transfer those results into podiums and wins.

“Of course on the racing side, I think I can do well in the Ardennes Classics. On the short climbs that are under 20 minutes, I can do well, and then I have a good sprint from a small group. I’m not the best on the climbs or in the sprints but I can do both well and I’m looking forward to reaching the next step in my career,” the Italian added.

The team has seen something special in Battistella. His consistency to race at a high level and across varying terrains instantly stood out, while his energy and enthusiasm to be part of our squad created the belief that he would instantly fit in with the rest of the roster.

“Samuele is a rider we’ve been tracking for some time, and while he’s not scored a big win in the last few seasons, he’s certainly showed himself in a lot of races and been incredibly consistent,” EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters said.

“Our team is constantly trying to progress and develop and Samuele is a rider we think can complement our squad in several different areas. A strong all-rounder with a fast finish, we genuinely believe that he can kick on and find that winning groove with us next season. As Samuele also points out, we’re one of the coolest-looking teams in the peloton and we’re hoping his Italian style will rub off on the rest of the team, too. Seriously though, there’s still a lot of untapped potential within Samuele, and we want to harness that and develop it with him,” Vaughters added.


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Lucy Bénézet Minns signs with the Lotto Dstny Ladies

Here’s the team’s news:

With the signing of Lucy Bénézet Minns, the Lotto Dstny Ladies Team is fully formed for 2025.

Lucy Bénézet Minns

“I’m really excited for this new step”, Lucy Bénézet Minns (18) says. “It will be special to try out some bigger races. As I come from the juniors, I still need to learn and discover a lot. I became national road and time trial champion in Ireland, which was nice. I had a good end of the year with winning the points race on the Junior Track European Championships. I want to discover more about which type of rider I am and try out as many as courses as possible.”

“Probably I’ll keep combining track with road. Next year I’ll fully focus on cycling for one year, and then after that I’ll see if I will start my university studies History and Politics, maybe from remote.”

Sports Manager Kurt Van de Wouwer is happy that the Ladies Team for 2025 is formed: “Lucy showed her strong capabilities on the World Championships juniors. She still has to learn a lot, but we will guide her in that and she will get the chance to grow step by step here. This signing fits perfectly in our vision to give a chance to young talents.”

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