Alpecin-Fenix to journey all three Grand Tours in 2021

The level of competition for wildcard slots at the Grand Excursions has develop into extra extreme in 2021 just after Alpecin-Fenix operator Christoph Roodhooft verified to Wielerflits that the squad will take up their berth in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España. Alpecin-Fenix gained the appropriate to contend in this year’s Grand Tours following winning the 2020 Europe Tour.

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OUDENAARDE BELGIUM Oct 18 Arrival Mathieu Van Der Poel of The Netherlands and Workforce AlpecinFenix Celebration during the 104th Tour of Flanders 2020 Ronde van Vlaanderen Adult males Elite a 2433km race from Antwerpen to Oudenaarde RVV20 FlandersClassic on October 18 2020 in Oudenaarde Belgium Photograph by Luc ClaessenGetty Illustrations or photos

2019 Europe Tour winners Complete Direct Energie took up their Tour and Vuelta locations but declined their automated invitation to the Giro, which authorized organiser RCS Sport to assign a few wildcard places.

Alpecin-Fenix’s decision implies that the Tour, Giro and Vuelta will each individual have just two discretionary invitations at their disposal in 2021. Competitors for spots at the Giro appears to be like established to be significantly rigorous.

“We have made the decision that we’re likely to commence in the three Grand Tours,” Roodhooft told Wielerflits. “In addition to the Tour de France, with Fenix as an Italian title sponsor, it really is rational that we’ll be driving the Giro in any case. And the Vuelta has also been additional to our programme in the meantime.”

Alpecin-Fenix did not journey any Grand Tour in 2020, and their choice to just take up their location signifies that some of last year’s collaborating groups are established to pass up out this season.

French ProTeams Full Direct Energie, Arkéa-Samsic and B&B Motels p/b KTM are vying for the two remaining Tour de France berths. Belgian squad Intermarché Wanty Gobert have previously secured their return to the Tour in 2021 just after purchasing the defunct CCC Team’s WorldTour licence.

In 2020, RCS Activity distributed its a few Giro wildcards to Italian squads Androni-Sidermec, Vini Zabù-KTM and Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè. People three teams will compete for the two destinations at RCS Sport’s disposal this calendar year, although Gazprom-RusVelo and EOLO-Kometa have also signalled their curiosity in using the 2021 Giro.

At the 2020 Vuelta, Complete Immediate Energie had been joined by wildcard picks Burgos BH and Caja Rural–Seguros RGA as a few non-WorldTour groups.

Alpecin-Fenix chief Mathieu van der Poel has currently confirmed that he will make his Tour de France debut in 2021, telling Sporza: “I think I owe it to the sponsors to take part in the Tour.” The Tour of Flanders winner also intends to ride the mountain bike occasion at the Tokyo Olympics soon afterwards.

Roodhooft was unsure regardless of whether Alpecin-Fenix would find all of their strongest riders for the Tour or balance their leaders across the 3 Grand Tours. The team’s new arrivals for 2021 include Silvan Dillier and Jasper Philipsen, whilst Tim Merlier remains at the squad together with Van der Poel.

“What I do know is that in the Tour we goal to be fully invisible some times and consider to be the centre of interest for many others,” Roodhooft said. “That seems to me to be the only prospect for good results. And I am hopeful that we can realize success.”