Gianni Moscon leaves Ineos Grenadiers after six years
The Italian rider, who has been at the centre of numerous controversies, will be heading to Astana next season
Gianni Moscon will be leaving Ineos Grenadiers at the end of the season, after six years with the British team.
Italian rider Moscon, who has been a the centre of multiple controversies in recent years, will be making the switch to Astana from next year on a two-year contract.
The 27-year-old, previously a promising one-day racer, has struggled for form in recent years but said he is making the switch in search of a new challenge.
Moscon, from Trento, said: “After six years spent in one team, I am going to take a serious step in my career. I think that this is a kind of challenge for me, motivation to keep on growing, and a new experience that I am sure will be successful. Over the years, I have managed to accumulate a lot of experience, and now I would like to use it to the fullest in a new team, in a new environment.”
During his career, Moscon has come close to winning some of the biggest races, including fifth in Paris-Roubaix, third in the Tour of Flanders, and fourth in the World Championships.
But he has also been the centre of headlines away from his results, most recently in the 2020 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, where he was caught on camera throwing a competitors bike out of the way, hitting another rider with it in the process - the latest in a long list of controversies that includes racially abusing a rider in 2017 and hitting another rider in the 2018 Tour de France.
>>> Paris-Roubaix switches dates again for 2022
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Astana manager Alexandr Vinokourov said: “As well as being suited to one-day races and individual time trials, Gianni is a reliable team rider who can provide powerful support for the team’s Grand Tour leaders. After six years in the same team, we hope that this move to Astana will allow Gianni to further develop as a rider, especially as he is still young, and will inspire him and help him to unlock his rich potential even more."
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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