Transfer hits galore: Kämna from one big project to another, Bettiol out of EF effective immediately

There is plenty of transfer news these days in cycling country. On Thursday, two WorldTour teams announced a resounding move: Lennard Kämna is leaving Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and moving to Lidl-Trek. Alberto Bettiol is leaving the colorful EF Education-EasyPost to join big-money Astana, effective immediately.

Kämna signs with the American formation for that year. He is very happy with his switch. "With joining Lidl-Trek, I am now taking the next chapter in my career. The past few years have been quite important for me and now I’m excited about what’s to come. I definitely want to continue my individual development in the coming years, and I certainly want to win races."

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"I’m looking forward to being part of a great team, which certainly has further potential that I want to contribute to with my performance. And I’m looking forward to reuniting with team mates I’ve known for a long time from my first year as a pro – Mads Pedersen and Alex Kirsch. All in all, top pre-requisites for lots of fun on and off the bike and hopefully great achievements together," concludes the young German on the site of his new employer.

Sport director Luca Guercilena explains more or less what we can expect from Kämna at Lidl-Trek. 'Lennard is a great talent that we have been watching closely for some time. When the opportunity arose to bring him on board, it was a clear and natural match for our team. His impressive record in short-stage races and his proven ability to excel in the demanding grand tours make him a valuable addition. In addition, he is a strong time rider, a quality that is very important when racing for the general classification.

Next is Bettiol's move from EF to Astana. Indeed, this can be called remarkable, given the current status of the blue jerseys. In addition, the classics specialist is moving immediately, halfway through the season. Still, the Italian was drawn to the plans of the new sponsors. "I was impressed by the team's interest in me and the attitude I saw from Alexandr Vinokurov. All this convinced me that I was making the right choice by making this switch. I am confident that it will be easy to integrate into the team because I am already familiar with many of the riders and staff members. I can't wait to meet the team and race together," Bettiol said.

Alexandre Vinokurov, Astana's team boss, is delighted with the arrival of a rider like Bettiol. "For us, Alberto Bettiol is especially a reinforcement for classic and one-day races. He is experiencing an excellent season, and I hope the second half of the year with our team will also be at a high level. I am grateful to the management of EF Education-EasyPost for their open and friendly approach during the talks and preparations for this mid-season transfer, and I am happy that we have found many common goals and prospects with Alberto for his future in our team," Vinokurov told us.