Gianni Moscon is saying goodbye to Soudal Quick-Step. The thirty-year-old Italian is leaving the Belgian team after just one year and has signed a one-season contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Rumors surrounding the former INEOS Grenadiers rider had been circulating for some time, but now it’s official.
His new team announced the arrival of the Italian on their website. Moscon said that with this transfer, he can turn a new page. "I'm incredibly excited to join Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and start this new chapter in my cycling career." A meeting with manager Ralph Denk was the decisive factor in the Italian all-rounder’s decision. "From the moment I met Ralph, it was clear that we were on the same page. The trust that Ralph and the team have in me makes me motivated and determined to do my best. This is a great opportunity, and I can't wait to get started."
Denk sees Moscon as a highly experienced asset for the spring classics. "When I think of Gianni's potential, I think of Roubaix 2021: an impressive solo that was only stopped by a puncture." For a long time, Moscon seemed on his way to victory in a brutal edition, but a flat tire and a crash ruined his chances. "But with his experience, we are also looking beyond the classics. At the Tour de France this summer, we saw how well he fulfilled his role as road captain."
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We can't exactly call Moscon’s adventure at Soudal Quick-Step a great success. Although he was sent to the Tour de France to assist team leader Remco Evenepoel, it was in a more supportive role than what was expected of him. Throughout the year, the Italian was a domestique, despite being long considered one of Italy’s most talented riders, as evidenced by a third-place finish in the 2017 Giro di Lombardia, a fourth-place at the 2019 World Championships, and a fourth-place in Roubaix three years ago.