Michael Valgren moves to EF Pro Cycling

Danish rider Michael Valgren has signed with EF Pro Cycling for the coming year.

Valgren, the winner of the 2018 Amstel Gold Race had been with the NTT Pro Cycling team since 2019. However, with the South-African registered team expected to shutter at the end of the 2020 calendar year, riders have been scrambling to secure contract opportunities.

Valgren, via the EF Pro Cycling website, announced that, “I’m most excited about moving to EF to start working with all the people there. Obviously, I’ve been talking to Matti Breschel and Magnus Cort as fellow Danes,” said Valgren. “They both said it was an awesome team and I look forward to being a part of that. From the outside, EF looks like a super fun team. And I really can’t wait to be a part of it. I think I will fit right in.”

The addition of the classics specialist, whose palmares includes a win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, should strengthen the team’s overall prospects, offering more support to the GC contenders, as well as adding opportunities for the American squad in the cobbled classics.

“My main strength as a rider, I believe, is my endurance and that I’m really able to read the race pretty well. So I think that’s a very good combination, especially in the one-day races. The longer the race gets, the better I get and I read the riders in the race. That’s one of my greatest qualities on the bike,” said Valgren.

“Michael has a big engine,” said team director Jonathan Vaughters. “It gives us another card to play on cobblestone races.”

Valgren slots into a team with a strong grand tour presence. British rider Hugh Carthy had a very solid thrid-place overall performance at the Vuelta a España, with Michael Woods also performing well at the Spanish tour. Lachlan Morton has also recently recommitted to the team for the coming year and will contribute to the team’s strength when he’s not making multiple Everesting attempts.