The team continues to be sponsored by oil giant Saudi Aramco and global logistics company DP World from the UAE. The team name will continue to be Aramco DP with the base located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates where riders will be able to train at our world class sporting facilities. With contacts and business partners located worldwide, the team has become increasingly more international with riders from 13 different nations under contract in 2021.
After a disappointing 2020 in the PCT for the team, we see ourselves back in the Continental Tour where it all began in 2014.
We have been here twice before. In our debut season in 2014, some would say we fluked our way to 4th and an Automatic Promotion after two GC wins from breakaways. The second of these was in 2019 where Nibali led a successful campaign to finish 2nd and earn promotion to the CT once more.
The team this year is one of the strongest we've ever had with much of the team spending their entire professional cycling career with us. We have put a huge focus in talent and providing a pathway to the top for the younger generation and we will continue to do this for years to come.
We hope you all follow the team with much anticipation of a great season ahead!
This process was one of the more heartbreaking we've been through in a long time. A very successful season in the Continental Tour saw our promotion to the Pro Continental Tour for the upcoming season. A big reshuffle is required to put our team in a strong position moving forward.
Released Rui Costa: He wasn't getting any younger and wouldn't accept a wage as a domestique so unfortunately we have parted ways. Moreno Moser: A great servant for the Euskaltel team but he struggled as a leader last time round in the PCT and he was requesting too much after having a fairly good CT season. We wish him well in the future. Vincenzo Nibali: Age and decline have hit Nibbles hard. He was an outstanding rider for the team in the CT and it is with a heavy heart that we let him go but we thank him for the part he played in getting us promoted. Zahiri & Ganjkhanlou: Both released after filling in as domestiques in a few races this season.
First Name
Surname
2019 Wage
2020 Wage
Difference
Rui
Costa
150,000
0
-150,000
Moreno
Moser
140,000
0
-140,000
Jonathan
McEvoy
110,000
70,000
-40,000
Milos
Borisavljevic
95,000
95,000
0
Vincenzo
Nibali
90,000
0
-90,000
Benoit
Cosnefroy
75,000
65,000
-10,000
Enric
Mas
65,000
55,000
-10,000
David
Gaudu
60,000
70,000
+10,000
Nicola
Conci
60,000
50,000
-10,000
Mohamad Izzat Hilmi
Abdul Halil
60,000
50,000
-10,000
Fabio
Jakobsen
55,000
95,000
+40,000
Stelly
Robert
52,000
55,000
+3,000
Andres
Paez
50,000
60,000
+10,000
Ruben
Fernandez
50,000
55,000
+5,000
Armindo
Fonseca
50,000
60,000
+10,000
Jaime
Castrillo
50,000
50,000
0
Leo
Vincent
50,000
50,000
0
Hugo
Hofstetter
50,000
50,000
0
Benjamin
Thomas
50,000
50,000
0
Abderrahim
Zahiri
10,000
0
-10,000
Mohammad
Ganjkhanlou
10,000
0
-10,000
Maral-Erdene
Batmunkh
0
50,000
+50,000
Mohammed
Al Murrawi
0
50,000
+50,000
18 Riders. Wage Bill of 1,080,000.
We have money to play with, riders to get, and a lot of riders to loan out to the PT.
Loads of money to work with given how many riders you have under contract, but as you mention you have to loan out a bunch of riders to ensure that you have a roster that will challenge for promotion next year. Should be a very interesting window to follow for sure!
I can't say I'm a fan of your new sponsor, but obviously I've always been a fan of the team behind it!
I knew you had a fast track back to PCT and you've proven me right, now for the next step when your talents leave that status to form a world class base to aim for the ProTour. It'll be interesting to find out who you target with that cap space.
I do wonder if the absence of a European main sponsor will see you consider a good offer for one of the French or Spanish talents more than you have in the past, in particular those who need to ride at PT level this season anyway. We might at least give it a shot at some point!
Yes we have 9 riders that need to go out on loan to the Pro Tour. We will be willing to negotiate who pays how much of the wage on a rider-by-rider basis.
The french riders would be most welcome at Festina indeed... We have discussed several of these riders in the past, and honestly - I'm not sure I'm done trying to sign a couple of these on a more permanent basis
You'll definitely be an interesting team to follow in transfers, with that juggling act of PT loans and strengthening to ensure PCT survival. Good luck for piecing that puzzle together!
Joining us for a fairly hefty transfer fee, we've secured ourselves yet another Italian Cycling Legend. Ulissi comes to the PCT for one last hurrah off the back of a solid season at Generali in the PT. A rider we expect a lot from and will need a lot from if we are to survive this season in the PCT. He is definitely the kind of rider who will be able to compete with the best and we will be providing the strongest support possible to aid him in his fight!
@knockout & @whitejersey: We try our best to sign riders either at the start of their career or near the end (e.g. Nibali last season, Jurgen VdB the season before). Hope this clears up the confusion!
