Elisa Balsamo has signed a contract extension with Trek-Segafredo that may see her racing with the American Girls’s WorldTour workforce by means of 2026.
Normal supervisor Luca Guercilena mentioned that it was not solely her profitable dash that led to an extension but additionally her enthusiasm, charisma, dedication and workforce spirit.
“It will be reductive to suppose that we proposed the extension solely due to her outcomes. Elisa introduced much more to the workforce; enthusiasm, charisma, dedication, workforce spirit and at all times with a proactive method. These are the qualities that made her an all-around chief in such a short while,” Guercilena mentioned.
“After we signed the primary contract, earlier than her victory on the World Championships in Leuven, she was a widely known promising expertise. One 12 months later, we at the moment are speaking about one of many strongest riders on the scene. And one of the best, in our opinion, is but to return.”
Balsamo signed her first WorldTour contract with Trek-Segafredo for the 2022 season after profitable the highway race world title in Leuven on the finish of 2021.
She bookended a outstanding 12 months within the rainbow jersey with victories at stage 1 of the Setmana Valenciana in February and on the ultimate stage 5 on the Ceratizit Problem by La Vuelta in September.
In between, Balsamo’s season highlights included what she known as a ‘golden week‘ of wins at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem. She additionally secured a stage win on the Tour de Suisse, two wins at Giro d’Italia Donne, and received the highway race on the Italian Nationwide Championships.
“The bond that has been created between this workforce and me is nice, virtually distinctive,” Balsamo, who will graduate in fashionable literature in Turin in April mentioned. “We have now such a deep relationship that, a number of days in the past, whereas I used to be racing the European Champs on monitor, I had goosebumps following Elisa [Longo Borghini] and Gaia [Realini] triumphing at UAE Tour.
“I wasn’t there, however the sense of belonging to this group made me excited as if I have been there pedalling with them. This reality completely illustrates how necessary this workforce is to me.
“2022 was an unforgettable 12 months, however there’s a story that’s but to be written. I’ve many targets in my head, and with the workforce, we share the identical ambition. Luca and Ina [Teutenberg], jokingly, threw me the problem of changing into a collector of Classics… for sure, the problem was accepted.”
Teutenberg mentioned that Balsamo’s performances and coaching and the way she pertains to her teammates have been past expectations throughout final season and that she is wanting ahead to the subsequent 4 seasons.
“She honoured the world champion’s jersey as just a few have been in a position to. She dealt with the strain and expectations with spectacular outcomes. She is a particular rider, one {that a} workforce director would at all times need to work with. I am actually excited after I take into consideration what’s coming.”
