Italian Matteo Trentin to boost UAE Team Emirates
31-year-old World Championship runner-up comes on board on a two-year contract
Dubai: UAE Team Emirates has further consolidated the line-up of riders by signing up World Championship runner-up Matteo Trentin on a two-year contract.
Currently with the CCC Team, the Italian rider who turned 31 last month, signed up with the Abu Dhabi-based team at least till 2023.
“I am very happy to join UAE, it’s an ambitious team that is doing very well and where I hope to be able to contribute with some good results,” he said.
“Finding a team that has a long and ambitious project is not easy in this period and I am proud that they have trusted me to be part of that. Another factor is that I already know many riders and many staff members and therefore it will be an easier integration from this point of view,” Trentin added.
A consistent rider, Trentin took a prestigious victory on Stage 7 of the 2014 Tour de France when he won the sprint by a few centimetres ahead of Peter Sagan. The Italian had also won a stage of the same race on his maiden Tour start in 2013, winning in a sprint in Lyon against his breakaway counterparts.
In October 2015, Trentin won Paris-Tours in a record time for a race over 200 km, and then by winning the fourth stage at the 2017 Vuelta a Espana, Trentin completed the set of at least one stage win in each of the Grand Tours. He won three more stages and he was also in contention for the points jersey till being edged out by Chris Froome by a mere two points.
Trentin became European champion by winning the road race at the 2018 European Cycling Championships in Glasgow, and then last season, he took his third individual Tour de France stage win with a solo move from the breakaway on stage 17.
Last season, Trentin finished runner-up at the 92nd edition of the UCI Road World Championships held at the historic county of Yorkshire, UK from September 22-29.
“Well, first of all, I have some unfinished business at the World Championships and I would like to go one better there than last year,” he affirmed.
“Then there’s Milan Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. I would also like to aim for the green jersey of the Tour de France, obviously while still working towards the overall classification objectives of the Team,” Trentin added.
Mauro Gianetti, Team Principal, UAE Team Emirates was extremely pleased with the signing of the Italian into the fold. “Matteo is a strong reinforcement for our team, particularly in view of our classics roster. He has proved that he is a very versatile rider across many types of races, and has a great turn of speed. We like his way of racing and his winning mentality. I am convinced that he will integrate very well into the team,” he said.