Ilaria Sanguineti joins Trek-Segafredo

There is a lot of excitement from Ilaria Sanguineti after putting pen to paper in a contract that will see her move to Trek-Segafredo for the next two seasons.

“Arriving in a team like Trek-Segafredo was the goal I had been chasing for years, the opportunity I had been looking for the definitive leap in my career,” Sanguineti said. “I feel lucky, because being in this Team is not for everyone, but after years of hard work I also think I have deserved this call.”

“Sanguineti is an experienced rider and will play the dual role of lead out and sprinter,” Team Director Ina Teutenberg explained. “We chose her because of her ability to lead out in sprints, as already demonstrated with Balsamo in Valcar, she is the perfect rider to put Elisa in the best conditions in the bunch finish. Not only that, Ilaria is a rider who has the ability to play her chances and she can be a valid option for other sprint finishes.”

At the age of 28, Sanguineti will make the jump to the World Tour after five years of experience with Valcar. As a professional rider, she has four wins to her name – Dwars door het Hageland this year in addition to two stages and a general classification victory at the Tour de Bretagne. Recently, Sanguineti finished just shy of the podium in the Classic Lorient Agglomeràtion.

“The opportunity of a lifetime is awaiting me. I consider myself a rider who knows the world of cycling and is aware of the challenge I’ll have ahead of me. It will be a new world, a different dimension, also in terms of expectations and goals. Trek-Segafredo has raised the standard of women’s cycling; it is a model team that I have always admired. I can’t wait to be part of it!” said Sanguineti.

“I will always thank Valcar for the opportunity it gave me over the years to grow and become who I am now. It also allowed me to get to know Elisa Balsamo. We have a special relationship in and off the race, a unique feeling. I am so happy to reunite with her.”

“Although I am no longer very young, I want to approach the new adventure with the spirit of a neo-professional. Every year, so far, I looked forward to improve and did my best to make it happen, but I feel I can still learn and grow a lot. I believe I can bring an added value for sprint management to my new Team. I look forward to diving into team mechanisms and being able to work with athletes like Ellen Van Dijk, who has been a great inspiration in my career.”