After his EF Schooling-EasyPost squad made important upgrades to its roster for 2023, crew boss Jonathan Vaughters has acknowledged that they’ll have larger expectations to fulfill within the upcoming season.
Olympic champion and former Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz has signed on 2023, immediately turning into the most important star rider within the crew in its 20-year historical past. With the Ecuadorian’s signature comes raised aspirations, in addition to raised requirements.
“Everybody understands that expectations are going to be larger,” Vaughters mentioned in a crew press launch. “The requirements are going to be larger as a result of what we’re striving for – the objectives – are lots larger.”
“We will tackle the highest groups on this planet to attempt to win the most important races on this planet. You possibly can really feel it in all people. There’s a massive change of spirit. It’s recreation on.”
The crew scored 9 wins through the 2022 season, together with Magnus Cort’s stage win at Megève on the Tour de France and Rigoberto Urán’s first Grand Tour stage win in 5 years on the Vuelta a España.
Via the winter they’ve signed up Carapaz’s former Ineos Grenadiers teammate Andrey Amador, in addition to Mikkel Honoré from QuickStep and Stefan De Bod from Astana Qazaqstan. Mid-season signings Andrea Piccolo and Jefferson Cepeda (each from Androni) may also be taking up their first full season with the squad.
EF had been among the many litany of groups linked with Mark Cavendish at one level final summer season, with Vaughters confirming a tentative curiosity within the sprinter. Nevertheless, the veteran now seems to be all however sure to race for Astana this yr.
“Every of them brings strengths to our roster that add explosivity and depth,” the crew famous about their new signings, noting that Amador can be dedicated to serving to Carapaz whereas Honoré will lead the crew within the spring Classics following the retirement of Sebastian Langeveld.
The crew’s 2023 squad is now full at 30 riders from 21 international locations, with notable names on the outgoing listing over the winter together with Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) and Michael Valgren, who heads to EF’s Growth crew as he recovers from accidents sustained in a crash final June.
As ever, the crew are among the many final of the WorldTour squads to unveil their new jersey, although Amador might have let the brand new look slip in a now-deleted Instagram submit earlier this week.
The Costa Rican shared a shot of himself in EF colors carrying a jersey that includes segments of a number of shades of pink throughout the physique and sleeves and black trim. It may but develop into a coaching equipment, nevertheless – we’ll have to attend and see.
