Béid Ekippen hunn eng laang Traditioun a béid Ekippen hunn et an der Vergaangenheet ëmmer nees gepackt, fir Talenter a grouss Ecurien ze bréngen. Fir 2023 wäert een e Kader tëscht 14 an 16 Coureuren ustriewen, dat an engem gudde Mix tëscht U23 a méi erfuerene Sportler.
Coureure wéi de Bob Jungels oder de Gewënner vum Tour de Luxembourg vun dësem Joer, den Dän Mattias Skjelmose, si bei der Lëtzebuerger Formatioun gefuer. Fir den Team Manager vum “Leopard Pro Cycling Team” Markus Zingen, soll de Fokus awer och weiderhin op jonke Coureure leien.
Markus Zingen: “Dat ass nach ëmmer eis Ausriichtung. Aus der Traditioun eraus, hate mir nach ëmmer e speziellt A op d’U23. Awer och ee Mix, fir méi erfuere Coureure mat dobäi ze hunn. Dat war bei Leopard esou an dat wäert och nach esou sinn. Riwal huet dat och esou änlech gemaach. Mir denken allebéid, datt et wichteg ass jonke Fuerer, erfuerener un d’Säit ze stellen, fir vun hinnen eppes ze léieren. Op der anerer Säit steet d’Entwécklung am Virdergrond. De Sport huet sech awer geännert an deem Sënn, datt ee sech méi séier muss entwéckelen. Dofir ass et wichteg Succèsen a Resultater ze hunn, an eng Course gestalten ze kënnen. Fir jonk Coureuren ass et hëllefräich, erfuere Fuerer un der Säit ze hunn.
Aus Lëtzebuerger Sicht si bis elo de Loïc Bettendorff, den nationale Champion Colin Heiderscheid, de Cédric Pries an de Mats Wenzel vun der Ekipp confirméiert, weider Athlete ginn an den nächste Woche virgestallt.
LEOPARD PRO CYCLING AND RIWAL CYCLING TEAM JOIN FORCES
With the goal of becoming one of the best teams in the UCI Continental circuit and with the ambition to return back to the pro ranks in due time, 2023 will mark the launch of a Danish/Luxembourgish cycling team
The same goals, the same ambition, the same cycling DNA. In the strive to further develop their team structures, both Riwal Cycling Team and Leopard Pro Cycling decided to join forces. The merger of the two respected teams with a long history is a logical one. As both traditional cycling nations, the crossovers between Denmark and Luxembourg are very clear, seeing also the Luxembourgish and Danish influences in both teams now and in the past.
The team will aim for a roster of about 14 to 16 top class riders, consisting of a healthy mix of U23 riders and more experienced ones. As ever, the DNA of the team will be all about supporting the best talents in the world in order to bring them a step further in their careers. Both teams have an astonishing track record in doing this, recent examples being top riders such as Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Trek-Segafredo), Andreas Kron (Lotto-Soudal), Alexander Kamp (Trek-Segafredo) and Mauro Schmid (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl).
All in all, the team remains to be an international oriented team with of course its main focus on Danish and Luxembourgish athletes, following their natural heritage. Eight riders of the teams are continuing in the 2023 season:
Loïc Bettendorff (LUX - 2001)
Mathias Bregnhøj (DK - 1995)
Colin Heiderscheid (LUX - 1998)
Cedric Pries (LUX - 2000)
Kasper Viber Søgaard (DK - 2001)
Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER - 2002)
Emil Vinjebo (DK - 1994)
Mats Wenzel (LUX - 2002)
In the coming weeks more riders that will be part of this new project will be announced.
“We are convinced that the merger between Riwal Cycling Team and Leopard Pro Cycling is the best possible step for both parties to continue. Even though both Continental teams are operating with the structures that also professional teams have, we can still learn a lot from each other. By doing so, we will be able to work more efficient but also effective going forward. Not only the staff will notice this, but – more importantly – also the development of the talented riders will benefit even more. We are counting down the days to our first race in 2023, as we immediately want to set our mark.”
Mogens Tveskov
CEO Riwal Cycling Team
mt@togt.dk
“We are extremely happy with being able to finally come out with this exciting news. For both parties, this merger means that we can now support our athletes even better than ever before. Simply, because we can mix the strong points and expertise of both teams, with the same DNA, into one. The coming weeks we continue the preparations for our first combined season in which we aim to be in the top part of the UCI Continental ranks. There is still a lot to discuss, but one can imagine that – at the same time - we already can’t wait for the 2023 season to start.”
Markus Zingen
Team Manager Leopard Pro Cycling
zingen@leopard.lu
