Published August 10, 2022 08:53AM
Jefferson Alexander Cepeda to make his EF Education-EasyPost debut at the Deutschland Tour
The Ecuadorian joined the American squad in a mid-season transfer.
Jefferson Alexander Cepeda at the 2022 Giro d'Italia (Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Jefferson Alexander Cepeda will make his EF Education-EasyPost debut at the Deutschland Tour later this month after making a mid-season transfer to the team.
Cepeda is one of two riders joining the team mid-season with Andrea Piccolo also making the jump to the American team. The pair joined from the Italian Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli team.
The 24-year-old Cepeda has had some promising results this season with second overall at the Giro di Sicilia, behind Damiano Caruso, and finishing fifth overall at the Adriatica Ionica Race in June.
“I felt really, really excited to be on the podium with some of the biggest riders in the sport,” Cepeda said of his Giro di Sicilia performance. “I’m pretty calm about next year being my first season in the WorldTour. I’ve raced on professional teams and have learned a lot. I’m ready for these high-level races and to help the team as much as I can.”
Also read: Jefferson Cepeda & Andrea Piccolo confirmed for EF Education after mid-season transfers
Cepeda is one of two Ecuadorians on the team with Jonathan Caicedo riding for the squad since 2019. A third Ecuadorian could join the team in 2023 with Richard Carapaz strongly linked with a move to the team for next year.
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“It’s really nice to be on the team with other Ecuadorians. It’s really nice for us to have each other and we help each other. It’s like a little piece of home. I know Jonathan Caicedo really well. We ride together and we know each other really well,” he said.
“It’s quite a team. They’ve got some really good riders and it’s really good there. The team is really well prepared for the races they do, and the riders give it their all to get really good results.”
Cepeda has shown himself to be a strong climber and he won the Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc in 2021. En route to the overall title, he claimed a stage victory with a solo win on the Col du Galibier.
That same season, he also finished fourth overall at the Tour of the Alps, beating the likes of Hugh Carthy, Pavel Sivakov, and Nairo Quintana.
“He’s a great climber, great talent, and has shown potential for a great future,” EF Education-EasyPost CEO, Jonathan Vaughters said. “We’re looking forward to developing his talent further.”