The 22-year-old emerging talent signs his first WorldTour contract through 2023
Another young talent is set to join cycling’s professional ranks and his name is Marc Brustenga. The young Spaniard has chosen to take the big step into the WorldTour with Trek-Segafredo for the next two years.
At age 18, Brustenga began to ride for the well-known amateur team V.C. La Pomme Marseille to gain experience in a wider variety of races outside of Spain. He remained with the French outfit for three seasons before joining Filial Caja Rural-RGA, a feeder team for the eponymous UCI Pro Team.
Brustenga is a certain future talent: he has amassed five wins this season, including the Aitzondo Clasica-Asteasu and G.P. Ciudad de Vigo. However, more impressive is that most of the races in Spain at this level concentrate around very hilly regions, often in the Basque Country, but Brustenga is a sprinter with interest in the Classics. He recently finished 3rd in the Copa España series and currently lies 2nd in the Spanish U23 ranking.
Marc Brustenga: “For me, to sign with Trek-Segafredo is a dream come true. Since I was little, my objective was to reach the top level of cycling, and now I have that possibility. I have worked hard for years to reach the WorldTour, and now that I have, it feels unreal.
“I chose Trek-Segafredo after speaking with Markel [Irizar], and he explained the project and ideas that the Team has for the next years. I liked the sound of it a lot, and I also have seen that there is a really nice atmosphere inside the Team amongst the riders and staff.
“It’s one of the biggest teams in the world, and I hope to be able to learn in the races I like the most, the Classics. With these experienced teammates, I will have this chance. My aims are to help the Team, doing what they ask of me, and to have fun as that is also important for me. Above all, I want to learn from my more experienced colleagues to be able to apply these lessons in my future.”
With the signing of Marc, we are once more investing in the future with young talent.
Markel Irizar, Talent Scout: “Marc is a very good sprinter, but he is more than this. He climbs very well, considering that his strength is in the sprint, and he is very strong on the flat also. I think his profile will be very useful in lead-outs with Matteo Moschetti or Mads Pedersen, and I think he will be a very good rider for the northern Classics.
“He is very smart in races and very good technically. Furthermore, Marc can read the race well and think tactically, so I think he will be very useful in races and sprints where these skills are important.”
Luca Guercilena, General Manager: “With the signing of Marc we are once more investing in the future with young talent. It is impressive that Marc has picked up strong results and even wins in races that are not 100 percent his specialty. He has won not only in bunch sprints but also from small groups and solo after tough races. Marc’s versatility is an attractive feature, and he has shown a capacity to understand a race tactically. These characteristics will serve him well as he gains experience and matures. I think he can learn a lot from our Classics Team and has a future in these hard races.”
