Alpecin-Fenix to trip all 3 Grand Tours in 2021
The levels of competition for wildcard slots at the Grand Tours has grow to be extra powerful in 2021 following Alpecin-Fenix owner Christoph Roodhooft verified to Wielerflits that the squad will get up their berth in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España. Alpecin-Fenix acquired the correct to compete in this year’s Grand Tours soon after successful the 2020 Europe Tour.
2019 Europe Tour winners Full Immediate Energie took up their Tour and Vuelta sites but declined their computerized invitation to the Giro, which authorized organiser RCS Activity to assign three wildcard spots.
Alpecin-Fenix’s decision signifies that the Tour, Giro and Vuelta will just about every have just two discretionary invitations at their disposal in 2021. Competition for sites at the Giro appears to be set to be significantly rigorous.
“We’ve decided that we’re likely to start off in the a few Grand Tours,” Roodhooft informed Wielerflits. “In addition to the Tour de France, with Fenix as an Italian title sponsor, it is really rational that we are going to be driving the Giro anyway. And the Vuelta has also been added to our programme in the meantime.”
Alpecin-Fenix did not journey any Grand Tour in 2020, and their determination to acquire up their put suggests that some of past year’s participating groups are established to miss out this period.
French ProTeams Full Direct Energie, Arkéa-Samsic and B&B Hotels p/b KTM are vying for the two remaining Tour de France berths. Belgian squad Intermarché Wanty Gobert have already secured their return to the Tour in 2021 following shopping for the defunct CCC Team’s WorldTour licence.
In 2020, RCS Sport dispersed its 3 Giro wildcards to Italian squads Androni-Sidermec, Vini Zabù-KTM and Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè. Individuals 3 teams will contend for the two spots at RCS Sport’s disposal this year, whilst Gazprom-RusVelo and EOLO-Kometa have also signalled their curiosity in riding the 2021 Giro.
At the 2020 Vuelta, Complete Direct Energie were being joined by wildcard picks Burgos BH and Caja Rural–Seguros RGA as 3 non-WorldTour teams.
Alpecin-Fenix leader Mathieu van der Poel has now verified that he will make his Tour de France debut in 2021, telling Sporza: “I consider I owe it to the sponsors to take part in the Tour.” The Tour of Flanders winner also intends to trip the mountain bike party at the Tokyo Olympics soon later on.
Roodhooft was not sure no matter if Alpecin-Fenix would select all of their strongest riders for the Tour or stability their leaders across the a few Grand Tours. The team’s new arrivals for 2021 incorporate Silvan Dillier and Jasper Philipsen, though Tim Merlier stays at the squad alongside Van der Poel.
“What I do know is that in the Tour we aim to be entirely invisible some times and consider to be the centre of awareness for some others,” Roodhooft mentioned. “That appears to be to me to be the only likelihood for results. And I’m hopeful that we can triumph.”
