The team announces the eight men to race the 102nd edition of the Italian Grand Tour.
Trek-Segafredo has announced its lineup for the 102nd Giro d’Italia that starts on Saturday, May 11 in Bologna and finishes on Sunday, June 2nd in Verona.
Dutch climber Bauke Mollema, who has shown good form in his last races, will lead the team and is highly motivated for a great result. Mollema will look to improve on his 7th place overall in 2017.
I am looking forward to my third Giro. My preparations have gone well and I am confident that I have a strong team around me to help me and push me to my highest level.
Bauke Mollema will be signing in for his third Giro.
While the general classification will be the focus of Mollema, former Giro stage winners Gianluca Brambilla (stage 8, 2016) and Giulio Ciccone (stage 10, 2016) along with Nicola Conci and Michael Gogl will grab opportunities when they arise.
The goals are top five GC with Bauke, and secondly to win one stage, either with Bauke or the others. Between Gianluca, Giulio, Nicola, and Michael, they can all, even when they protect Bauke, have a chance to go for a stage win. Whatever we do, we will try and be very well seen this Giro.
- DS Kim Andersen
Giulio Ciccone won stage 10 of the Giro in 2016 as a neo-pro at the age of 21.
Nicola Conci during the Basque Country stage 1 time trial.
In the sprint stages, Matteo Moschetti, 22, will test his young, fast legs against a contingent of the world’s best sprinters. Moschetti stockpiled nine victories in 2018 with the Trek-Segafredo supported development team Polartec-Kometa and the jump to WorldTour is a big learning year for the Italian. He showed his potential in the UAE Tour with a surprising second place in stage four.
Matteo Moschetti finishes just ahead of Primoz Roglic of Team Jumbo-Visma during the uphill Hatta Dam finish.
It’s the first grand tour for Matteo, and he will not have a sprint team to help him. That means it’s more difficult to have a result, but in the other way, he has less pressure on him. Of course, like all sprinters, he wants to win. It will be difficult, but what he has shown until now, in one sprint if he finds a good way, why not? Anyway, for him, it’s his first experience, and everything he will do be well accepted.
- DS Adriano Baffi
And, in every team there are the unsung heroes who get little attention or fanfare for their hard work, who selflessly race for the glory of others. Most of what they do is unseen outside the peloton, their efforts out of sight of cameras and the public eye, but every team knows their worth. They are the backbone of success.
Markel Irizar and Will Clarke are Trek-Segafredo’s workhorses for the Giro and will be ready to lead by example.
“Markel Irizar and Will Clarke need to be ready to do the hard, main work, watch over Bauke, keep the team together and motivated – they are both 100% team players. They are the glue of the team.
- Baffi
Will Clarke is appropriately nicknamed 'Big Horse'.
This will be Markel Irizar's last Grand Tour. He will retire after his final race, Clásica de San Sebastián, on August 3, 2019.
The first Grand Tour of 2019 kicks off this Saturday and is guaranteed to be a thrilling three weeks. It is an important race for Trek-Segafredo after a disappointing classics campaign, that despite their best effort, fell short of expectations.
“One thing, in cycling, if you don’t give up, and keep working hard and live the good life, eat and live healthy, you will go up again, you will perform again,” said director Steven de Jongh, who worked with the team during the classics. “This is one thing that I also told the riders after the classics: don’t lose your head, keep working hard for the right direction, and it will pay off for sure.”
De Jongh will not be at the Giro, but his words carry the same weight for the eight TrekSegafredo riders during a three-week race where there will be numerous ups and downs.
Matteo Moschetti and Gianluca Brambilla are excited to start the biggest race in Italy.
We expect a good Giro, and especially, we must be present in the race. We must race smart and aggressive and be ready for every opportunity - and try and take it.
- Baffi
Trek-Segafredo’s lineup for the 2019 Giro d’Italia:
Bauke Mollema (NED), Gianluca Brambilla (ITA), Giulio Ciccone (ITA), Will Clarke (AUS), Nicola Conci (ITA), Michael Gogl (AUT), Markel Irizar (ESP), Matteo Moschetti (ITA).
