Team Sunweb have announced two new riders for next season with Nicolas Roche signing a one-year contract with the team and Australian Robert Power signing a two-year deal.
34-year-old Roche brings a wealth of experience to the team with 20 Grand Tour starts under his belt and ten professional wins. The Irishman will take on the role of providing crucial support in the mountains whilst the team chase their GC ambitions in both stage races and grand tours.
Roche commented on joining the team: “I am very happy to join Team Sunweb and to be in a new environment. I am excited about the sporting project and the role that I will have in the team, which suits me perfectly and I’m eager and really looking forward to sharing my knowledge with the younger guys on the team. I think the team and their goals fit perfectly with what I like to do as a rider and will help me get the most out of it, and even give my own development a boost. I’m already looking forward to starting a new season with Team Sunweb.”
Team Sunweb coach Marc Reef added: “Nicholas of course has the physical capacities that will be really valuable for the team, but he also brings a ton of experience that will be pivotal to his support role for our GC leaders. Over the years he has raced many stage races and Grand Tours at a very competitive and stable level. As a person he is a great fit and has a lot of ambition to be a valuable player for us in the grand tours next season.”
At 23 years old, Robert Power adds firepower to the team’s uphill squad having the typical capacities needed for three-week racing. With a bundle of GC top 10’s early on in his career, a strong 6th place at the 2018 Strade Bianche and his first pro win this year, his strengths as a rider are a great fit to the team’s goals for the upcoming seasons.
Speaking of his new contract Power said: “I am very excited to join Team Sunweb. I chose to sign with the team because I really like the way the team operates and I think it’s a good environment for me to continue my development as a rider. I also appreciate that they see my potential as a rider and I’m looking forward to taking the next steps here. I think there is a great support structure surrounding the team which I am very much looking forward to being a part of.”
Team Sunweb coach Marc Reef added: “Robert was a world class U23 rider taking lots of promising results at the beginning of his career and has been on our radar since then. We are very happy to have signed him. He had a difficult few years after turning professional but we believe that he has the potential to make the next steps in his development with the team. He has that very typical physiological skill set which we were looking for to strengthen our roster for a three week race at high level and big intensity. He has a big engine and with the capacity to recover fast he can perform on a very high level in the decisive part of three week stage races. He joins the team initially in a support role but we will provide him with everything needed to make the next steps in his development over the upcoming years to see where it could lead to.”
