The Canyon SRAM Generation team has finished its signings for the 2023 season by announcing the final 4 signings. The team retained the services of Valentine Nzayisenga, Agua Marina Espinola, Llori Sharpe and Olivia Shililifa from 2022. Ricarda Bauernfeind and Antonia Niedermaier both were promoted to the main Canyon SRAM team for 2023. By signing Nesrine Houili, Justyna Czapla, Diane Ingabire and Daniela Schmidsberger Canyon SRAM Generation will have 8 riders from 7 countries and 4 continents. All 4 new signings have been signed for 1 year.
“After our debut season, we are excited to see the new eight-rider roster on the road for our second year. We have four returning riders returning that can build on their first season and four new riders who each bring different strengths and experiences.
We will follow a similar pattern of races as we did in 2022, starting with smaller Spanish races and building to UCI 1.1 and 2.1 races. This steady progression played an important role in our overall strategy of rider development, and we are confident it will work well next year. Overall, we aim to form strong team unity and become a well-respected team in the peloton.
The new riders are motivated and determined and have already shown their cycling talent on national or international stages. Despite their young age, I hope Diane and Daniela’s positive and professional attitudes will help the team in hard moments, and their willingness to ask questions creates an environment where all riders can learn. Nesrine and Justyna have demonstrated their time trial strengths and are motivated to learn to use their power in different race scenarios with their new CANYON//SRAM Generation teammates.”
Adam Szabó, Canyon SRAM Generation sport director
Diane Ingabire is the current Rwandan road race and time trial national champion. She has also earned podiums at the African Championships and represented Rwanda at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. 2023 will be her first chance racing in the European peloton.
“I started riding only in 2018. I enjoy cycling because I feel like it’s my talent, and I can see it’s an amazing sport for many people. I am very excited to sign with CANYON//SRAM Generation. I will be going from my local club to a Continental Team. It’s a big step in my life. I want to work hard and learn to become a professional rider.”
Diane Ingabire
Daniela Schmidsberger will do her first pro season in 2023 after her final year as a junior in 2022. She took 3rd in GC at the Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie against future Women’s WorldTour riders like Eglantine Rayer. She took top-20 finishes in all of the European and Worlds road race and time trials in the 2022 season.
“No words describe how much I look forward to the season with CANYON//SRAM Generation. There, I have the best conditions to develop as a cyclist and person and come closer to my future goals. For the next season, my goal is to improve my overall skills as a cyclist and learn as much as possible. Further in the future, I want to become a successful World Tour cyclist.”
Daniela Schmidsberger
Nesrine Houili took some impressive results in 2022, her first season racing as an Elite. At just 18 years old, Houili took the African Championships time trial and finished 4th in the road race too. She also became the Algerian national champion, which may be a jersey we see in 2023 and a rare sight normally in the European peloton. She also finished 12th in a pair of Belgian national-level races, which is no mean feat for a non-local.
“I started riding when I was 12 years old and was determined to make a career in cycling last year. I love the challenge of learning new things and development through racing, like in the ITT and classic races. I can’t describe my feelings and how happy I am to join CANYON//SRAM Generation. I chose to sign with this team because of the development pathway to the Women’s World Tour. I value team spirit and believe this team will help me develop myself as a person and rider step by step. I have big goals, and I see a lot of opportunities to progress over the next years. I’m ready to work hard and am already excited about the things I will learn.”
Nesrine Houili
Finally, Justyna Czapla joins the Canyon SRAM conveyor belt of German talent. Her last year as a junior in 2022 saw her become the German and European junior time trial champion, only missing out at the World Championships to Zoe Backstedt. She showed herself to be a solid road racer as well with 6th at both Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie and Omloop Borsele, before finishing 3rd at the Watersley Challenge. Any smaller stage race with a time trial and Czapla will be one to watch.
“CANYON//SRAM Generation has been my favourite since the beginning, so I can’t wait to start the new season soon. My goals for 2023 are to settle in well in the new team, gain as much experience as possible and achieve some good results for the team. I hope to contribute to the team’s success by taking experienced teammates as role models and learning new things from them, which I then try to implement in the best possible way. I want to become a successful and experienced rider in the future.”
Justyna Czapla
Canyon SRAM Generation 2023 Line-up
- Diane Ingabire (Rwanda)
- Valentine Nzayisenga (Rwanda)
- Agua Marina Espinola Salinas (Paraguay)
- Nesrine Houili (Algeria)
- Justyna Czapla (Germany)
- Llori Sharpe (Jamaica)
- Daniela Schmidsberger (Austria)
- Olivia Shililifa (Namibia)
