Tiberi, Bernard, Elissonde, López and Nibali sign contract extensions after impressive seasons
ANTONIO TIBERI – 2024
In 2019, when he signed as the newly crowned Junior Time Trial World Champion, we had great confidence in Antonio Tiberi’s potential. Now, after a series of convincing performances during his first months as a professional, the Team decided to place even more faith in his future, approving an extension through 2024.
Luca Guercilena, General Manager: “In just a few months, Antonio has confirmed his potential but, above all, has allowed us to see how wide his margins of growth are. The extension will guarantee us the time to work towards a shared development project. We have an ambitious three-year plan in our mind, and together we really want to make it a reality.”
Tiberi: “An important relationship of trust has been created between the Team and me that, for a young rider in his first pro-year, is the best I could wish for. Here, I have found an environment to work peacefully without excessive pressure, an ideal situation for me to grow and mature.
“The final podium at the Tour de Hongrie was the highest moment of the season so far. Although it was a sought-after goal, the emotion of my first podium as a professional was unexpected.
“For the next years, I have a common goal with the Team: to improve the level of my performances and, as a consequence, to get more and more ambitious results. In terms of participation, I dream of lining up at a Grand Tour or Classic soon. Of course, I won’t take such a chance for granted; I’ll have to earn it. For me, it’s my primary goal. The second will be to leave a mark. Step by step, but always in crescendo.”
JULIEN BERNARD – 2023
A familiar face in the Trek-Segafredo team, Julien has been with us since 2016 – his entire professional career. In 2020, he took an emotional first professional win atop Mont Faron in the Tour de Alpes Maritimes et du Var. Though perhaps under the radar, Julien had an exceptional 2021 Tour de France where he rode in service of teammates in the hilly breakaway stages.
Guercilena: “Julien has dedicated a lot of his career to the Team, and we are happy to repay that dedication with a new contract. Whether fighting in the breakaway or supporting our leaders in the mountains, he always gives his all. Seeing him take his first win last year was a very pleasing moment for everyone at Trek-Segafredo and a just reward for his hard work.”
Bernard: “I’m really happy to sign for two years more with Trek-Segafredo. It’s been six amazing years together so far, and I’m excited for another two. I hope and think we will continue to improve my personal level as well as the general level of the Team. I’m ready to fight for the next goals of the Team. I really enjoyed how we approached the last races – very aggressively, which is how I like to race myself. We went for many breakaways, fighting for the victory each day. Overall, I’m really happy to continue with this Team.”
KENNY ELISSONDE – 2023
King Kenny, as we like to call him, is the second half of our French connection. A purebred climber, Kenny finished as runner up on the mythical double Mont Ventoux stage at the Tour de France last month. He is well-equipped to ride in service of others when required but does not hesitate to fight for victory when he has the chance. We’re excited for the day we see Kenny raise his arms aloft once again.
Guercilena: “It has been a pleasure to have Kenny in the Team since he signed in 2020. From his first race, the Tour Down Under, he showed his unwavering commitment to the Team’s objectives. Kenny is still improving; we can see this in his strong performances in the breakaways at the Tour. As more opportunities come his way, he needs to seize his chance to win.”
Elissonde: “It was a no-brainer to renew with Trek-Segafredo. I spoke with Luca pretty early in the year, and we agreed that we are both happy to continue together. My first two years were great, though very different experiences. In my first year, I supported Richie [Porte] to help him achieve good GC results. This year, I have switched more to the breakaways, so I have had to learn a bit more about how to ride like that, and I really enjoy this. Now, my target is to win a race for the Team. I’m lucky enough that I get some opportunities to win. I would love to still do both roles: helping GC leaders in the mountains and go for wins myself when I have carte blanche.”
JUAN PEDRO LOPEZ – 2023
Juanpe’s time as a neo-pro is drawing to a close, and we are thrilled to keep him racing with us through 2023. The Spanish climber joined as a stagiaire in 2019 and is improving with every race. However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the youngster. He fractured his right elbow in Flèche-Wallone but has bounced back to top form, as witnessed in San Sebastian with a strong performance supporting our leaders.
Guercilena: “Juanpe has been a welcome addition to our Team, and I’m glad to have him stay with us. We identified him as a pure climber with lots of potential that he is making steady progress in reaching. Juanpe has spent the last two years learning from our more experienced riders and growing in confidence; now it is his chance to step up to the next level.”
López: “I’m super happy to continue for two years more in the Team. The most important thing is that I have been really impressed with my teammates and the staff; these super good people are like a second family. This is really important to me because if you feel good in the Team, then the objectives come more easily. For the next two years and the rest of this season, I’ll give 100% to help our GC leaders as much as possible. I’m thrilled to continue this way, and my main goals for the next two years are to keep improving and to win something. I want to win, as everyone does.”
ANTONIO NIBALI – 2022
Antonio Nibali joined the Trek-Segafredo family alongside his brother Vincenzo in 2020. Happy in his current surroundings, the younger Nibali has chosen to remain racing with us for a further year. The Italian rider’s priority is to consolidate his position as a dependable domestique in stage races with the particular target of earning a place in the Grand Tours.
Guercilena: “When he has been called in to support the leaders, Antonio was able to stand out due to his reliability and commitment. The Grand Tours, in particular, require a lot of unseen but very precious hard work for a rider like him. As a versatile performer, Antonio can take on various responsibilities and fits well into our workgroup for stage races. He needs to believe more in his qualities and take the chance to improve more and more.”
Nibali: “These two years have literally flown by, but they have been useful to get to know the Team in-depth and to enter into a solid rhythm. If 2020 was conditioned by the pandemic, the current one has allowed me to work with more continuity and to show I deserve trust for the future. The best demonstration was at the recent Tour de Wallonie, a race where we were able to display an important performance as a team with the victory of Simmons. The Team gave me a chance to show myself, and I didn’t let it slip by, contributing to a great collective performance.
“The goal for the coming months and the next season is to keep continuity in my own performance, supporting the leaders and even trying to take some personal satisfaction. At the Tour de Suisse, I came close, almost winning the best climber jersey. I hope to have similar opportunities in the near future.”
