Sepúlveda signs for Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec

Eduardo Sepúlveda will ride for Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec in 2021, bringing an end to his three-year tenure at Movistar. News of the Argentinian’s signing follows confirmation this weekend that Androni Giocattoli will remain in place as the team’s lead sponsor for next season.

“For next season, we’re again putting together a competitive team,” said manager Gianni Savio. “With 13 wins, this year we were the second most successful team at world level in the Pro Continental category – after [Mathieu] van der Poel’s Alpecin-Fenix team – and the aim is to do it again next year.”

Savio hailed the “experience” of the incoming Sepúlveda and added that his team would announce the arrival of “three young riders of real talent” in the coming days.

A native of Rawson in Patagonia, Sepúlveda was based at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle in 2012 before turning professional with Bretagne-Séché the following year. He won three races with the French team – the Classic Sud-Ardèche and Tour du Doubs in 2015 and a stage of the Tour de San Luis in 2016 – and he also competed in the Tour de France on three occasions. 

Sepúlveda joined Movistar ahead of the 2018 season and placed second overall at last year’s Tour of Austria. The 29-year-old raced an exclusively Italian programme when the 2020 season resumed in August. His final race for Movistar was the Giro d’Italia, where he placed 57th overall.

Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec were again an aggressive presence at the Giro, and all eight of the team’s corsa rosa line-up remain with the team in 2021, including Simon Pellaud and Jhonatan Restrepo.

Sepúlveda is the 15th rider confirmed for Androni-Sidermec’s 2021 roster, which Savio has said will feature 20 riders in total. Earlier this month, Savio told Cyclingnews that his team would not sign Fabio Aru, who is still searching for a team for 2021 following his departure from UAE Team Emirates.