Leopard Pro Cycling and Riwal Cycling Team join forces
With the goal of becoming one of the best teams in the UCI Continental circuit and with the ambition to return back to the pro ranks in due time, 2023 will mark the launch of a Danish/Luxembourgish cycling team.
The same goals, the same ambition, the same cycling DNA. In the strive to further develop their team structures, both Riwal Cycling Team and Leopard Pro Cycling decided to join forces. The merger of the two respected teams with a long history is a logical one. As both traditional cycling nations, the crossovers between Denmark and Luxembourg are very clear, seeing also the Luxembourgish and Danish influences in both teams now and in the past.
The team will aim for a roster of about 14 to 16 top class riders, consisting of a healthy mix of U23 riders and more experienced ones. As ever, the DNA of the team will be all about supporting the best talents in the world in order to bring them a step further in their careers. Both teams have an astonishing track record in doing this, recent examples being top riders such as Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Trek-Segafredo), Andreas Kron (Lotto-Soudal), Alexander Kamp (Trek-Segafredo) and Mauro Schmid (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl).
All in all, the team remains to be an international oriented team with of course its main focus on Danish and Luxembourgish athletes, following their natural heritage. Eight riders of the teams are continuing in the 2023 season:
Loïc Bettendorff (LUX - 2001)
Mathias Bregnhøj (DK - 1995)
Colin Heiderscheid (LUX - 1998)
Cedric Pries (LUX - 2000)
Kasper Viber Søgaard (DK - 2001)
Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER - 2002)
Emil Vinjebo (DK - 1994)
Mats Wenzel (LUX - 2002)
In the coming weeks more riders that will be part of this new project will be announced.
Photographer
Morgane Bezzanier
Mogens Tveskov, CEO Riwal Cycling Team
“We are convinced that the merger between Riwal Cycling Team and Leopard Pro Cycling is the best possible step for both parties to continue. Even though both Continental teams are operating with the structures that also professional teams have, we can still learn a lot from each other. By doing so, we will be able to work more efficient but also effective going forward. Not only the staff will notice this, but – more importantly – also the development of the talented riders will benefit even more. We are counting down the days to our first race in 2023, as we immediately want to set our mark.”
Markus Zingen, Team Manager Leopard Pro Cycling
“We are extremely happy with being able to finally come out with this exciting news. For both parties, this merger means that we can now support our athletes even better than ever before. Simply, because we can mix the strong points and expertise of both teams, with the same DNA, into one. The coming weeks we continue the preparations for our first combined season in which we aim to be in the top part of the UCI Continental ranks. There is still a lot to discuss, but one can imagine that – at the same time - we already can’t wait for the 2023 season to start.”
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