Two more from RadioShack-Leopard stable, plus up-and-coming 20-year-old Aussie for new WorldTour team
Trek Factory Racing has confirmed the signing of Danilo Hondo, Giacomo Nizzolo and Calvin Watson for its 2014 squad. Hondo and Nizzolo are yet more riders from the RadioShack-Leopard team, whose WorldTour licence Trek has bought, while the team regards Australian Herald Sun Tour winner Watson as one of the best up-and-coming riders, and “represents the team's support and development of young, promising talent.”
39-year-old German Hondo will be Trek Factory Racing’s second oldest rider, as the team brings Jens Voigt from RadioShack-Leopard but not Chris Horner. The sprinter-turned-leadout man was happy with his role in 2013, and expects a similar atmosphere in the new team.
"For me it was a logical decision to sign on with the new team," said Hondo. "I chose a year ago to leave my role with Lampre and start working for both Fabian Cancellara in the classics and Giacomo Nizzolo in the sprint and it has worked well. I didn't see a reason to change again.
“I had a very good feeling with this team and I'm sure the new team will have a similar ambiance. I'd like to continue to share my experience with the classics core and to the young sprinters in the team. I'm excited about the bigger focus on sprinting and I think it's going to be great!"
Nizzolo - one of the riders that Hondo has served in his role at RadioShack-Leopard - is also content to stay with the same group of riders, with whom he turned professional in 2011. After steady progress in the last two seasons, the new American team is expecting big things from the 24-year-old Italian in 2014.
"I'm very happy to stay with this group, as I feel really good here,” he said. “I think we are going to improve even more, as we get more and more used to racing with each other.
"Personally I'm hoping for a couple more victories,” the Italian added. “For different reasons I don't feel as though this year was as good for me as 2012, despite feeling physically stronger and more adapted to the races. I hope that I can have a bit more luck next year, although I'm the first to admit that misadventures like in the Vattenfall Cyclassics [where he could only managed 13th place, after RadioShack-Leopard worked hard to chase down a late breakaway - ed] are part of sprinting. Next year I'd like to be competitive from the start until the end of the season. Luca [Guercilena, team manager] and I will work on my program and race calendar as I have come to realise that the spring months, with the cold and the pollen, are not optimal for me."
Watson will be a new name to the elite European peloton, but already has a considerable amount of experience in races such as the Santos Tour Down Under and the Tour de l’Avenir, while in early January he saw off several big names to take his Herald Sun Tour victory.
"Right now, my focus is on learning and developing into the rider that I'd like to be," he said. "I'm excited to be part of this new team as there are some amazing riders and directors here with so much knowledge of the sport. I'm just hoping to be able to utilize as much of it as I can."