‘I can be proud of my career’ Jacopo Mosca to retire at Gran Piemonte

Jacopo Mosca’s story with Lidl-Trek really begins over a decade ago in 2016. Back then, he was a keen and hopeful 20-year-old searching, dreaming, for that golden ticket to the WorldTour. An opportunity came to be a stagiaire Trek-Segafredo, and Mosca grabbed it with both hands. The Tour of Utah and the Tour of Britain were the young Italian’s first taste of races as a pro, and he enjoyed every minute of them. 

When that season came to an end, however, the offer of a full-time contract did not materialise. Mosca will never forget the wise words of Luca Guercilena when he got the disappointing news: “Ah, keep believing because you never know what happens in cycling.”

That was the start of a career built on self-belief and perseverance. In the years that followed, Mosca kept training and racing in the Italian domestic scene, always remembering the advice he’d been given.

“In 2019, I joined a very small team, but a very good one, D’Amico-UM Tools. I need to thank them, because they gave me the possibility to believe I could still be a rider and gave me a very good calendar,” he remembers.

It was one special day in June 2019 when Mosca got the call he had always had faith would eventually come: “I was away racing and I got a message from Josu [Larrazabal] and Adriano Baffi. They said ‘we’re looking for a guy like you for next year.’”

And so it was, Mosca joined Trek-Segafredo full-time and began to steadily establish himself as one of the most reliable and valued riders in the squad. His selflessness and tactical prowess were noted by all – this was a rider with talent and motivation in abundance. Whether it was doing a lead-out, spending hours on the front of the peloton, collecting bottles from the car from, or getting in breakaways, Mosca would always work for the collective success of the team – never just for his own ambitions. 

“I grew a lot with the team and I showed that as a rider I was always there to help others,” Mosca says. “I think 2020 was my best year as a rider, I had good numbers and got good results. A bad crash the following year made things difficult, but I came back at a high level. From that moment, I was always a helper and I tried to be the best helper possible.

Eight years since he initially signed a contract with the team, Mosca has been crucial to countless victories in Lidl-Trek colours. With race craft, experience and a big engine, the 33-year-old has excelled helping to fight for both general classification and one-day wins across a multitude of terrains. Now, it is time for the next chapter.

“I was given the option of being a sports director for next year and I’m really happy to step in the car next season, even if it is going to be a big change. I’m really looking forward to it,” Mosca explains.

Having lived and raced through multiple developments in the sport over the last decade, the Italian rider is excited to pass his knowledge on to the next generation.

“I’ve seen how much cycling has evolved and I think they can trust me because I have come straight from being a rider and I was one of the guys who probably suffered the most in the bunch. I think, in the end, most of the time it is your head that makes a difference and gives you motivation so you can do more with your legs” Mosca says.

When he finishes the final race of his cycling career at Gran Piemonte on Thursday, on home roads, Mosca will soak in every moment of his final lap. His years as part of the professional peloton have been fuelled by a simple, pure love for the sport which has shaped his life. It is this which he will take with him as he embarks on his next challenge.

“I want to teach younger riders, above all, to enjoy cycling as much as possible. It’s a beautiful privilege that we have to be able to do this.”