The way forward for the Arkéa-B&B Accommodations workforce continues to be unsure as a second rider below contract for 2025 has opted to maneuver to a special workforce. EF Schooling-EasyPost introduced the arrival of Vincenzo Albanese from the French workforce.
Final month, Clément Champoussin exited his contract early to signal with Astana Qazaqstan, now Albanese has made an identical transfer.
Albanese was Arkéa-B&B Accommodations’ third-best factors scorer behind Luca Mozzato and Kévin Vauquelin, raking in 935 factors via a sequence of high outcomes together with podiums within the Memorial Marco Pantani, Prueba Villafranca and the Tour des Alpes.
“I am very completely satisfied to turn into part of this workforce,” Albanese mentioned. “And I am very, very motivated for subsequent 12 months. I’ll do my greatest.”
Albanese is a constant performer however has just one victory as an expert from 2022 when he attacked to win forward of the bunch dash on stage 4 of the Tour du Limousin.
“My greatest, most stunning biking second thus far got here two years in the past after I gained on the Tour du Limousin in France. I attacked within the final kilometer and arrived alone with 5 – 6 seconds on the primary group. I’ll always remember that final kilometer. I need to win extra races,” Albanese added.
“For me, this would be the first time I’ll have the possibility to race for a really large workforce. It is going to be an amazing expertise, and I need to profit from it. I’m excited to affix an American workforce and about our program and the belief that the workforce has put in me for the subsequent 12 months.”
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Albanese, 27, started his skilled profession with Bardiani-CSF in 2017 and from 2021-2023 he raced with the Eolo-Kometa workforce earlier than becoming a member of the WorldTour this 12 months with Arkéa.
“My very large dream for subsequent 12 months is to experience the Tour,” Albanese mentioned. “I’ve finished the Giro, so the massive aim this 12 months is to make it to the Tour. I might like to do the Tour, win a race, and experience nicely on the classics.”
Albanese’s capacity to attain factors might be key in preserving the workforce within the WorldTour on the finish of the three-year promotion/relegation cycle in 2025.
The workforce’s CEO Jonathan Vaughters believes the Italian has outcomes on the horizon, saying, “Vincenzo Albanese is a really constant racer who can earn outcomes for us from the begin to the tip of the 12 months.
“He has the energy to make it into the finales of the massive Classics and blend it up in onerous Grand Tour bunch sprints. Our youthful riders are going to study a ton from his racecraft. Vincenzo is aware of learn how to maintain a cool head when it will get chaotic within the peloton and put down his energy when it counts. We predict he’s knocking on the door of a giant win.”
