Published May 25, 2023 08:17AM
Luke Lamperti keeps winning as WorldTour interest grows
A half-dozen top teams are among suitors for jump to WorldTour as US prospect keeps piling on victories.
Luke Lamperti kicks to victory earlier this season. (Photo: Trinity Racing)
Luke Lamperti, the promising American all-rounder, keeps racking up wins and that’s drawing attention from top WorldTour teams.
Sources say Lamperti, who’s won two stages so far in this week’s Tour of Japan, is picking up interest from several leading teams, including Soudal Quick-Step, Jumbo-Visma, EF Education-EasyPost, Bora-Hansgrohe, and UAE Team Emirates.
The 20-year-old won the opening prologue and stage 4 to carry the leader’s jersey in Thursday’s hilly circuit stage. The race ends Sunday in Tokyo.
Also read:
- More wins for Lamperti
- Lamperti tests WorldTour waters with UAE Team Emirates
- Big ambitions at Tour de l’Avenir
With five wins so far in 2023 for Trinity Racing, Lamperti could be making the leap to the WorldTour next season.
One of the top rising U.S. prospects, Lamperti decided to race one more season in the development system in part to gain more experience before seeking his fortunes in racing’s top men’s league.
Lamperti and his coaching staff didn’t want to make the jump to the WorldTour too soon, and the additional year of racing at the U23 development level is paying off with big dividends.
ADVERTISEMENT
A winner of the U.S. national criterium title, Lamperti’s been racing full-time in Europe this season to gain more experience and show off for some of the top WorldTour teams this season.
Other teams are also sizing up the American prospect. He rode with UAE Team Emirates during an early season training camp coming into 2023.
Lamperti is already based in Girona, Spain, and is confirming his broad skillset that includes strong sprinting and time trial skills as well as excellent bike-handling chops.
Some compare him to a rider like Greg Van Avermaet, capable of going deep into hard races and winning out of reduced bunches and even the occasional pure bunch sprint.
Earlier this month, Lamperti won the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic — a race that was inspired by Paris-Roubaix — in very challenging conditions. Just two days later, he won the opening stage and finished third overall at the Tour de Bretagne.
Other upcoming dates include the U23 Baby Giro in June, and the Tour de l’Avenir, Tour of Britain, and the 2023 world championships later this season.
