Pieter Weening returns to WorldTour, aged 39
The Dutchman had spent three seasons at Pro Conti, but is now back to the top tier
Pieter Weening has made his return to WorldTour racing at the age of 39.
The Dutch Grand Tour stage winner has raced a Pro Conti level for the last three years, but has now stepped up to join Trek-Segafredo for the remainder of 2020.
Weening’s contract will only be valid until the end of 2020, but he says he is still competitive at cycling’s highest level.
He said: “Hopefully, I can contribute to achieving great results for the team once the racing re-starts. I know I’m still competitive at a WorldTour level, and my motivation is super high. This will be a new team, new guys, new atmosphere, but I’m looking forward to this challenge and returning to competition.”
Trek-Segafredo first considered signing Weening back in February after their young Italian rider Matteo Moschetti was sidelined with a broken pelvis after a crash.
The coronavirus crisis derailed plans to bring in Weening, but with racing scheduled to return in August he is now ready to race with the US-based squad.
Weening, winner of two Giro d’Italia stages and one Tour de France stage, has raced for Roompot-Charles for the last three seasons, having left Orica-Greenedge back in 2015 – the last time he raced for a WorldTour team.
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At Trek he will join compatriots Koen de Kort and Bauke Mollema. who he previously raced with at Rabobank.
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Trek-Segafredo general manager Luca Guercilena said: “We first got in touch with Pieter back in February. Knowing that, after his crash, Matteo Moschetti would be out for an extended period, so we needed an experienced rider who would be able to fit in the group and be ready to race immediately.
“The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the recruitment process but, despite these turbulent times for cycling, we were determined to keep our word and welcome Pieter as part of the team.”
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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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