Zdeněk Štybar has a new home for the 2023 season at Team BikeExchange-Jayco. The Australian WorldTour programme announced Saturday they signed the Czech Republic veteran as a team captain on the road for one season, with an emphasis on the Classics and one-day races.
“This is something very special for me to change team in the final part of my career. I had great time with my previous team, but I am very excited for this new season with Team BikeExchange-Jayco,” Štybar said in a press release.
“I am ready to begin this new chapter and I am sure it will be very special for me. Of course, the Belgium Classics will be key events for me and I am looking forward to competing there with my new colours, but I'm also ready to help younger riders in the team and share my experience and knowledge with them. I believe this is an important duty at this stage of my career and I am very happy to do so.”
The opportunity with BikeExchange-Jayco will extend the 36-year-old’s career to an 18th season, the last 12 years being on the WorldTour level with QuickStep. During that time, he had victories at Strade Bianche, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Harelbeke, as well as a pair of runner-up finishes at Paris-Roubaix (2015 and 2017).
In early August Štybar admitted he was looking for a new team when QuickStep-AlphaVinyl declined to offer him a new contract. He has had some health issues in the past few years, including heart arrhythmia that required a cardiac ablation procedure in 2021, and a bout of COVID-19. He looked to regain some form this summer, finishing second at Tour of Leuven.
“I am also curious to race on different material and working with Giant will be a great opportunity for me, they are such a big player in our market and I am excited to try their products. These changes will give me extra motivation to keep performing and to fight with the best riders in the peloton. It will be a big boost of energy for me,” Štybar added.
BikeExchange-Jayco has recently added other strong riders to the squad, including Filippo Zana from Bardiani-CSF-Faizane, Chris Harper from Jumbo-Visma and Eddie Dunbar from Ineos Grenadiers. The team has extended contracts with team leaders Simon Yates (through 2024) and Michael Matthews (through 2025).
Three times a cyclo-cross world champion, Štybar is currently in Wollongong, Australia competing at the Road World Championships. He was seventh in the Worlds road race in 2021.
Jess Allen renews for BikeExchange-Jayco women
BikeExchange-Jayco also announced it renewed the contract of Australian Jess Allen, who will race with the squad for an eighth consecutive season.
The Perth native has been praised by team management as a valuable domestique and ‘trusted rider’, proving she is a team player on and off the bike.
"I'm happy and excited to be re-signing with GreenEDGE for the 2023 season. I'm looking forward to using my experience and knowledge to help develop the new riders that we'll have on the team next year,” Allen said.
“This year we have seen how strong our current riders have been, so I think next year we will have more confidence and motivation to get even bigger results. Personally, I've had a bit of bad luck but also one of my strongest seasons on the bike and I'm motivated to have a solid off season of training and step up another level again next season. I'll be heading back to Australia after two years in Europe, so I'm really excited to be back racing the 'Summer of Cycling' in Australia in GreenEDGE kit again."
The 29-year-old from Perth gained attention in 2012 as a teenager when she won the youth classification at the Women’s Tour of New Zealand. Two years later she won the road race title at Oceania Cycling Championships.
This past season she helped teammate Alex Manly with a third overall at the Tour of Scandinavia and supported Georgia Baker at Simac Ladies Tour, with Baker taking third on stage 3. Allen had a strong ride herself with a top-40 finish at Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden road race.
