Trek-Segafredo announced the addition of two riders to their 2018 roster on Monday, completing their line-up for the coming season. 26-year-old Ethiopian Tsgabu Grmay and 20-year-old Italian trainee Nicola Conci will join the American WorldTour team next year.
Grmay, the reigning time trial champion in Ethiopia, got his start with MTN-Qhubeka in 2012 and spent three seasons with the team before jumping to the WorldTour with Lampre-Merida. After two years there, he joined Bahrain-Merida for 2017. A three-time time trial champion and two-time road race champion in Ethiopia, he finished fifth overall at February's Tour of Oman.
"I'm very happy about this move. Trek-Segafredo really stood out for me because they offer a very professional guidance for their athletes. I am confident that within this team I can continue my development as a rider in the best circumstances," Grmay said in a team press release.
"I really like stage races because they suit me better than one-day races. Of course, it would be a dream come true if one day I would be able to win a stage race. But let's take it step by step. I want to keep learning and improving and will give it my all, and who knows, maybe one day, achieve that ultimate goal. In the meantime, I will honor my jersey, my team and my country. Being the first Ethiopian rider ever who turned pro, I feel the support of the whole country standing behind me and that gives me the strength to keep going until the bitter end."
Promising youngster Nicola Conci has been with the squad as a stagiaire since August, and his official ascension to the Trek-Segafredo ranks next season will mark his pro turn. He was seventh overall at this year's Baby Giro, among other strong results as an under-23 rider.
“Turning pro is a dream for every young rider; being able to do that in of the biggest teams in the world makes it even more mind boggling,” he stated. The next years I hope to perform well and be able to help the team like I could do in the Tour of Denmark, where Mads [Pedersen] won. That was really an amazing experience.
"I would describe myself as a climber/all-rounder. I am at my best in very hard races with enough climbs on the parcours. The Ardennes are my favorite terrain, and Liège is my all-time favorite classic. If only one day I could win there, I would be so happy. But of course, being Italian, I also love the Giro d'Italia, and especially the races with starts or finishes in Trentino, where I was born and raised. I wouldn't say no to a victory there either. Who knows, one day..."
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