The way forward for the Arkéa-B&B Motels workforce continues to be unsure as a second rider underneath contract for 2025 has opted to maneuver to a special workforce. EF Schooling-EasyPost introduced the arrival of Vincenzo Albanese from the French workforce.
Final month, Clément Champoussin exited his contract early to signal with Astana Qazaqstan, now Albanese has made the same transfer.
Albanese was Arkéa-B&B Motels’ third-best factors scorer behind Luca Mozzato and Kévin Vauquelin, raking in 935 factors by way of a collection of high outcomes together with podiums within the Memorial Marco Pantani, Prueba Villafranca and the Tour des Alpes.
“I am very joyful to grow to be part of this workforce,” Albanese mentioned. “And I am very, very motivated for subsequent 12 months. I’ll do my finest.”
Albanese is a constant performer however has just one victory as knowledgeable from 2022 when he attacked to win forward of the bunch dash on stage 4 of the Tour du Limousin.
“My finest, most stunning biking second up to now got here two years in the past once I gained on the Tour du Limousin in France. I attacked within the final kilometer and arrived alone with 5 or 6 seconds on the primary group. I’ll always remember that final kilometer. I need to win extra races,” Albanese added.
“For me, this would be the first time I’ll have the prospect to race for a really huge workforce. It will likely be an incredible expertise, and I need to benefit from it. I’m excited to hitch an American workforce and about our program and the belief that the workforce has put in me for the subsequent 12 months.”
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Albanese, 27, started his skilled profession with Bardiani-CSF in 2017 and from 2021-2023 he raced with the Eolo-Kometa workforce earlier than becoming a member of the WorldTour this 12 months with Arkéa.
“My very huge dream for subsequent 12 months is to journey the Tour,” Albanese mentioned. “I’ve performed the Giro, so the massive aim this 12 months is to make it to the Tour. I might like to do the Tour, win a race, and journey effectively on the classics.”
Albanese’s capacity to attain factors will likely be key in protecting the workforce within the WorldTour on the finish of the three-year promotion/relegation cycle in 2025.
The workforce’s CEO Jonathan Vaughters believes the Italian has outcomes on the horizon, saying, “Vincenzo Albanese is a really constant racer who can earn outcomes for us from the begin to the top of the 12 months.
“He has the power to make it into the finales of the massive Classics and blend it up in laborious Grand Tour bunch sprints. Our youthful riders are going to be taught a ton from his racecraft. Vincenzo is aware of the way to preserve a cool head when it will get chaotic within the peloton and put down his energy when it counts. We predict he’s knocking on the door of an enormous win.”
