The Alberto Contador Foundation reach an agreement with Mapei Sport Research Center for the preparation of Polartec-Kometa’s riders.

The Alberto Contador Foundation, responsible for the new Trek-Segafredo development team, whose main sponsors are Polartec and Kometa, has chosen the Mapei Sport Research Center to prepare and monitor its riders.

Ivan Basso, sports manager of this international project, with riders from countries such as Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria or Belgium, including the Italian and Spanish U-23 champions, Matteo Moschetti and Isaac Canton, as well as the junior champion of Europe, Michele Gazzoli, explains this decision: “Myself have been followed during eight seasons, the best years of my career, by the Mapei Sport Center. Bringing the team that I direct to a center of excellence like this is for me a victory. Luca Guercilena has also worked to carry out this collaboration and we are convinced that the follow up of our young people by the specialists of the Mapei Center is a guarantee for them to grow better and get them to the first team soon”.

Claudio Pecci, director of health at the Mapei Sport Research Center, said: “We are delighted to formalize this partnership, we are always on the side of young people. Our technicians will do everything possible to provide a level of support adapted to their needs. We’ll support these promising cyclists in both the peformance tests and the organization and supervision of training, providing cutting-edge scientific support”.

Andrea Morelli, responsible for cycling and the Laboratory of Analysis of Movement, added: “For Mapei Sport and especially for me it is a great pleasure to return to work with Ivan Basso. The fact that two champions like him and Alberto Contador are dedicated to a young and dynamic team is a challenge. Knowing that they have chosen our structure is a source of pride for us, but it also means that the work developed with Ivan Basso, first with Aldo Sassi and then with me, has left an indelible mark”.

Luca Guercilena, CEO of Trek-Segafredo, concludes: “For our team, investing in young people is not only a necessity, but also an ethical commitment to the future of cycling. Working with Alberto we have known his Foundation and his way to work with young people, and that is why we have proposed to them the management of this great project. Our objective is to try to help to grow the best talents, and trusting in Mapei Sport we are sure to have found the best way to do it.

In the image, from left to right: Luca Guercilena, Andrea Morelli, Ivan Basso and Claudio Pecci.