Bettiol extends with EF Pro Cycling through 2021
Classics talent to follow up strong performance at Strade Bianche with Milano-Sanremo, Il Lombardia.
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Italian classics star Alberto Bettiol has renewed his contract with EF Pro Cycling for another season.
The American team confirmed that they will be keeping Bettiol on-board through 2021 Wednesday. The news comes just a handful of days after the 29-year-old narrowly missed out on a podium finish at this weekend’s Strade Bianche.
“Alberto has been a wonderful presence on this team for years now and someone we all absolutely love racing and sitting down to dinner with,” team CEO Jonathan Vaughters said. “His class is apparent, from Flanders to his more recent exploits at Strade Bianche. He’s a major part of this outfit, to say the least.”
The Italian put in an aggressive performance on the white roads of Tuscany last weekend, animating the action behind race-winner Wout van Aert before falling off the pace to finish fourth. He may have missed the podium at Strade Bianche, but the attacking display was further confirmation of his enormous classics potential having won Tour of Flanders last year.
“I’m super happy to stay in this team,” Bettiol said. “It’s like having a second family. It’s the perfect environment for me to grow and it’s really helped give me a lot of confidence since 2018 when I decided to rejoin the team. I won Flanders because of this team, and a lot of the important things that have happened in my career is because of this team.”
Bettiol continues his all-Italian pre-Tour de France campaign at Milano-Sanremo this weekend, and a week afterward, will line up for Il Lombardia, August 15.
“I was happy with my performance on Saturday at Strade Bianche,” he said. “It proved to me that I’m still at a good level. For me, this is the best environment to keep on working in and keep on improving and getting results, and to further show my capability of being not only a leader but also a great helper for the team.”