Trek-Segafredo have announced that Pieter Weening has joined the team for the remainder of the 2020 season.
The experienced 39-year-old Dutchman, a former Tour de France stage winner, and two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner, last raced with Roompot–Oranje Peloton having previously ridden for GreenEDGE and Rabobank where he started his professional career in 2004.
Trek-Segafredo’s General Manager Luca Guercilena explained the reasoning for recruiting Weening mid-season: “We first got in touch with Pieter back in February. Knowing that, after his crash, Matteo Moschetti would be out for an extended period, so we needed an experienced rider who would be able to fit in the group and be ready to race immediately.
“Pieter is known to be a super professional rider, and we were convinced he would be able to meet our expectations. The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the recruitment process but, despite these turbulent times for cycling, we were determined to keep our word and welcome Pieter as part of the team.”
“I’m really happy for this opportunity and will give 150% in these last months of the year to fully help Trek-Segafredo. Hopefully, I can contribute to achieving great results for the team once the racing re-starts. I know I’m still competitive at a WorldTour level, and my motivation is super high. This will be a new team, new guys, new atmosphere, but I’m looking forward to this challenge and returning to competition,” said Weening.
With 13 professional wins to his name, Weening found himself at the end of 2019 without a contract. However, he kept an intensive training regime all through the winter months in the chance an opportunity would arise that would enable him to continue to race at the highest level.
“I still had the hope of finding a team, so I was still training as I would do in any pre-season. I wanted to stay fit, so I kept training all winter long. When Trek-Segafredo first contacted me in February, I told them I could be ready to race competitively in 4-6 weeks. I had a proposal, but the whole process was paused because of Covid-19 and the suspension of the racing calendar.
“But, after some talks with Luca (Guercilena), I had no doubts the team would keep their word if the racing resumed. In a time when many teams are struggling, it’s quite special that Trek-Segafredo is willing to recruit a new rider. I’m very thankful for that. This is a great opportunity for me to show what I can actually do, and I’m super motivated to help the team leaders achieve good results, no matter which races I’m selected for,” concluded Weening.
