American Joe Dombrowski has re-signed with the Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team, marking a second term at the outfit for the 25-year-old climber.
“It was an easy decision to stay. I’ve made a lot of progress at this team and I fit in great here. It’s feels like family,” Dombrowski said.
He raced the Giro d’Italia this season and factored into the sharp end of several stages, finishing eighth in the uphill time trial and third over a mountainous stage into Sant’Anna di Vinadio. Slipstream Sports CEO Jonathan Vaughters doubles as Dombrowski’s trainer.
“Joe has one of the highest VO2 maxes and highest IQs in the peloton,” Vaughters said. “And I’m happy to have those things on my side. There are some things he’ll get better at as he matures, but you can see just by watching the Giro, he’s starting to get a handle on how to use his physical gifts.”
For Dombrowski, Vaughters’ coaching was part of the reason he elected to return for another term with Cannondale-Drapac.
“To be completely honest, part of the reason I wanted to stay was having JV as a coach,” Dombrowski said. “He’s awesome. It is slightly unorthodox having the team manager write training plans but we have a good working relationship and I really believe in what he gives me to do, which makes it easy for me. I think it’s really important to have faith in what you’re doing because it takes all the thinking away for me and I can just focus on the racing.”
Dombrowski won the “Baby Giro” in 2012 and the 2015 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, the latter of which he was with Slipstream for. He will look to defend his Utah title and then head to the Vuelta in August.
“I took a good break after my last block of racing and I’m looking forward to Tour of Utah after that. I won it last year and would like to defend this year, and then I will finish with the Vuelta,” Dombrowski said. “I don’t know what my objective is for the Vuelta yet, but I’ll be aiming to finish the season strong.”
