Juan Pedro López has extended his contract with Trek-Segafredo as the Spanish climber and the US-registered WorldTour team look to build on his 10 days in the pink jersey and 10th place overall finish at the Giro d’Italia.
López has yet to win a professional race but impressed in Italy in May by finishing second on stage 4 to Mount Etna and then fighting to hold the maglia rosa until stage 14 around Turin.
The 25-year-old Spaniard also won the best young rider’s white jersey with a determined ride in the final week after the pressure and fatigue of his long spell in pink.
López showed his potential at Alberto Contador’s development team and joined Trek-Segafredo as a stagiaire in 2019. He had a contract for 2023 but Trek-Segafredo extended it by two more years.
"Since I first joined Trek-Segafredo as a stagiaire, I have grown so much as a person and as a rider," said López.
"I feel like the environment the team has created has been perfect for me and my journey and it continues to be the place where I want to be. It really feels like I have found myself at home here. People always say it, but I really believe it’s true that this team is like my family.
"By extending my contract early, the team are really showing that they trust me and that they believe in me the way I believe in myself. That is a super special feeling and I really want to be able to show that it was worth it over the next three years now."
López also raced the Vuelta a España but struggled to be competitive after his intense spring.
"While the Giro d’Italia was, of course, very special for me this year, the Vuelta didn’t go how I expected, or wanted, on a personal performance level," he explained.
"However, I really learned so much at both races and for different reasons both have only motivated me more to keep chasing that elusive victory. I really want to be able to show the team that their faith in me is justified and that I can also be a winner."
The Trek-Segafredo roster for 2023 is largely unchanged, with Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven and Quinn Simmons leading the Classics squad and Bauke Mollema, Giulio Ciccone and López for the Grand Tours. Gianluca Brambilla and sprinter Matteo Moschetti have moved to the new Q36.5 ProTeam, while Simon Pellaud has recently rescinded his contract and is expected to join Fabian Cancellara’s Tudor Pro Cycling team.
New signings at Trek-Segafredo include Natnael Tesfatsion from Drone Hopper, UAE Tour stage winner Mathias Vacek who raced with Gazprom, and 20-year-old neo-pro Thibau Nys, who steps up after his successful Under 23 cyclo-cross and road racing career.
Trek-Segafredo General Manager Luca Guercilena believes that López deserves to have the backing of the team in the years ahead after consistently showing his potential over the last two years.
"Juanpe is a talented young rider who I believe has earned our trust and commitment since joining us as a stagiaire around three years ago," said Guercilena.
"We saw this year that he is making steps forward and he continues to be very willing to learn from the more experienced riders on the team.
"His performance [at the Giro] really cemented what we, as a team, had been discussing already – that we wanted to invest further in his career and extend his existing contract early. We really believe that Juanpe is capable of fulfilling the potential we see in him, and I am confident that it won’t be long until we see him secure that first win."
