We’re delighted to announce our full roster of riders for the 2021 season, 11 riders return whilst we sign 3 new riders to our roster.
Returning for 2021 is 8 times world champion, Kirsten Wild, who scored six victories on the road, four world titles and two European titles over the last two years. Wild opened up our account in the World Tour, winning the first UCI Women’s World Tour race in our team’s history in March 2019. “I feel comfortable, happy and supported with CERATIZIT – WNT. I feel supported for my biggest dream and that’s to go to the Olympics and be the best me during that time. With my plans I have freedom but the backing of confidence to combine my road and track ambitions as well as having good material to perform to the highest level. The most important I have a team who believes in me.”
Four-time world champion, Lisa Brennauer, who defended her German road title at the end of August is returning for one more year having had a prolific season both on the road and track. Brennauer finished the 2020 season ranked 3rd in the UCI Women’s World Tour standings after podiums in Gent Wevelgem, Driedaagse De Panne, fourth in the Tour of Flanders and a stage victory and overall title at the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta to round out the season.
Brennauer, who also finished fourth in the UCI individual rankings said “I’m very happy to sign for one more year, we’ve got a great atmosphere with the people around us and there’s so much more to come in 2021 for us as a team.”
Italian trio of Erica Magnaldi, Lara Vieceli and Maria Giulia Confalonieri return with Confalonieri signing through to 2022. Speaking of re-signing for her third year with the team, “I signed with the team during the COVID-19 lockdown. I had a lot of help from the team during that period and throughout this difficult year they never stopped believing in me, it shows a lot about the team and company to be renewing contracts and giving the security to us during the pandemic. I look forward to continuing working with this mutual trust.”
Double European Points Race Champion, Maria Giulia Confalonieri who has been a vital asset to our lead out train and classics squad, whilst also having success herself with a podium at Clasica Femenina Navarra said; “I am very excited to continue my experience in Ceratizit for the next two years. Since the first races of the year the team has given me a lot of confidence and from the very first day the staff and teammates have made me feel “at home”. I would like to thank Ceratizit for the renewed confidence which I will try to reciprocate by giving my best as always. Thanks also to the Fiamme Oro Polizia di Stato which has allowed me to do activities of the highest international level for 5 years. I am sure that with thanks to all the components that support me we will be able to take a lot of satisfaction over the next two seasons.”
Going into their third year with the team, former Austrian road race champion, Sarah Rijkes, 2019 Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour overall winner, Kathrin Hammes, European individual pursuit champion Franziska Brausse all sign one-year deals whilst German Madison Champion, Lin Teutenberg goes into her fourth year with the team. Newly crowned U23 French road race champion, Laura Asencio signs until the end of 2022.
“I’m delighted to sign for two more years. After the last two years in this team, I feel like they are my second family. My teammates and the staff who support me, give me confidence to achieve my goals. I can feel that every year I grow up and learn a lot as an athlete with them, so I’m looking forward to what the next two years can bring.” said 22-year-old Asencio.
Double European Madison Champion, Julie Leth adds another year to her contract citing the team is a perfect fit for her to combine the road and track ambitions. “I was already excited last year and I thought the team would be a good fit for me, I actually didn’t know too many of the riders personally, but I knew the team was a good fit to me, and unfortunately with COVID-19 I didn’t get to race as much as I would have loved to, but from the beginning I felt a good vibe. I appreciate the team backing me and supporting me in my track ambitions as well as road ambitions. With Tokyo being postponed until 2021, it is something I had to take into consideration, but for me, track and road compliments each other in terms of my form and preparation for races such as the spring classics.”
23-year-old Polish road race champion and U23 European Championship silver medallist, Marta Lach joins the team, signing until the end of 2021. “I’m thrilled to join this team, there are so many riders who I can learn from; Lisa, Kirsten, Lizzy, Lotta, Kathrin for instance. There’s always a great vibe within the team, I’ve seen how they are on and off the bike over the last few years, they are positive, friendly, always smiling and strong riders. This is a new motivation for me, with new goals, I have a possibility to ride new races, races which suit me and potential to be a leader but I’m also looking forward to helping the girls achieve victories.” Lach, who has ambitions to represent Poland at the Olympic Games will continue to combine her Master’s degree in Physical Education at university.
11 times Finnish champion in the road race and time trial, Lotta Henttala, who has won 23 professional victories during her career said “It’s exciting for me to join the team, I had a very challenging year, but I am ready for new challenges and this is a new motivation. Dirk and I have a joint vision for next season. I won my first professional victory with Dirk as my sports director in 2015 in Thüringen, so we have some nice history, but I hope we can continue to make history together in 2021.”
Lizzy Banks, a double Giro Rosa stage winner and podium finisher at GP Plouay Trophee CERATIZIT, signs a one-year contract. Banks who comes from Sheffield a stone’s throw away from CERATIZIT UK subsidiary said “I’m delighted to be joining CERATIZIT WNT in 2021, we’re all aware of the difficult situation that led to this transfer but sometimes out of a difficult situation can arise a fantastic opportunity and this is what has happened here.
It’s rare that you get this clear alignment with what you think, and the team think you can do. There’s so much talent within this team that’s bubbling through and is about to crack open some big results, then you’ve got proven winners, world class riders like Lisa Brennauer and Kirsten Wild who I can’t wait to work with. I think the duo of Lisa and I in the final of a race can be incredibly dynamic duo and a dangerous one as well. I think we really complement each other’s riding styles, and hopefully we’ll be knocking on the door of some huge wins in 2021.”
Germany
Lisa Brennauer – 1 year
Franziska Brausse – 1 year
Lin Teutenberg – 1 year
Kathrin Hammes – 1 year
Austria
Sarah Rijkes – 1 year
Netherlands
Kirsten Wild – 1 year
France
Laura Asencio – 2 years
Italy
Maria Giulia Confalonieri – 2 years
Erica Magnaldi – 1 year
Lara Vieceli – 1 year
Denmark
Julie Leth – 1 year
Finland
Lotta Henttala – 1 year
Poland
Marta Lach – 1 year
Great Britain
Lizzy Banks – 1 year
We thank Aafke Soet, Claudia Koster and Ane Santesteban for their contribution and hard work with the team and wish them all the best with their new teams for next season.