Etixx-Quickstep add Costa, Cortina, Schreurs as trainees

Image 1 of 3

American Adrien Costa will get a chance in the big leagues as a trainee for the Etixx-Quickstep team later this year. The junior world championship silver medalist in the time trial, who is part of the Axeon-Hagens Berman development team, joins Ivan Cortina and Hamish Schreurs (Klein Constantina) as the cycling equivalent of interns.

Wanty-Goupe Gobert also announced their trainees, Xandro Meurisse (Crelan-Vastgoedservice), who recently claimed a top 10 in the Tour de Wallonie, and Jenthe Biermans (SEG Racing Academy).

Still just 18, Costa has been one of the US's biggest talents to emerge from its development programs. He was twice the silver medalist at the world championships time trial as a junior, and this season won a stage in the Tour des Pays de Savoie, the overall at the Tour de Bretagne - Trophée des Granitiers, and was third in the U23 time trial championships in the US.

Schreurs, a New Zealand native, is the country's U23 champion and won the Carpathian Couriers Race and was third in the U23 Paris-Roubaix. Cortina placed top 10 in both the U23 Ronde van Vlaanderen and U23 Paris-Roubaix this year.

Schreurs will debut this weekend at the Prudential RideLondon, Cortina will start at the Dwars door het Hageland, and Costa will debut in September after completing the Tour of Utah with Axeon-Hagens Berman.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert brings Meurisse into the team as a trainee after the 24-year-old Belgian placed seventh overall in the Tour de Wallonie and won a stage and placed third overall in the 4 Days of Dunkirk this season.

Meurisse rode as a trainee for Lotto Belisol in 2014, but was injured in a crash. He returned with An Post-Chainreaction the next year and was 10th overall in the Tour of Britain.

"I'm happy to receive this opportunity to ride against professional riders," Meurisse said. "I came back to Belgium to show great things. My first part of the season was successful. This is a great reward and let's hope this is the last step to a professional contract."

Xandro Meurisse will line-up on Sunday in the Prudential Ride London. "I don't know my race schedule in details but I will normally ride the Tour of Britain whose I keep very good memories of last year."

Jenthe Biermans, 20, was twice second in Paris-Roubaix U23. He will start with the team at Dwars door het Hageland.

"I hope to show the team that I can be a good rider for the future not only on Flemish races. I’m looking forward to starting my first race in my new jersey.”