Liv Racing Xstra have confirmed that Rachele Barbieri will remain with the team until the end of 2024, extending her deal a year beyond her existing contract. The decision comes after a season in which the Italian sprinter has made significant strides at the highest level.
Barbieri has already taken two victories this year, winning stage 3 of the Bloeizone Fryslân Tour and the ZLM Omloop der Kempen Ladies. Both came in bunch sprints where she proved the fastest, reinforcing her credentials as a top-tier finisher.
Her form has been consistent across the season, with podiums in one-day races such as the Scheldeprijs and Veenendaal-Veenendaal, and multiple high finishes in stage races. At the Giro d’Italia Donne, she claimed four top-ten stage results. She matched that tally at the Tour de France Femmes, confirming her place among the strongest sprinters in the current peloton.
Reflecting on her performances, Barbieri said: “I am very happy with the recent performances in the Giro d’Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes. There I showed that I am one of the better sprinters of this moment. For me it was very nice to get the confirmation in these big races as well.”
The decision to extend her stay with Liv Racing Xstra came before the Tour de France Femmes. “Last year I decided to focus on road cycling again after two years. Liv Racing Xstra offered me the opportunity to get back into road cycling at the highest level. The transfer to the team meant a lot to me. Last winter and in the first races I felt I had a lot of space to show my sprinting abilities. I’m happy with the confidence I feel from Liv Racing Xstra and want nothing more than to grow together.”
She also credited her teammates for their support. “Last winter I joined the team. Although I still had a lot to prove, I immediately received 100 per cent support from the other riders. They rode for Rachi, without the certainty that it would pay off. I was impressed by that. There is a click, we work as a team. If we can grow together, there’s still a lot to achieve. Together we are building a perfect sprint train. And with together I don’t only mean the riders, but also the staff. We work intensively together, with the aim to become better. The team feels like a family to me, it is a very pleasant environment to work in.”
Team manager Eric van den Boom praised both her professionalism and the speed of her progress. “Rachele is someone who shows a lot of commitment and is the perfect example of professionalism. This may be one of the reasons why she has made such great progresses faster than expected. She has shown us that she can connect with the world top when it comes to sprinting. There is a good match between her and Giorgia Bronzini and Wim Stroetinga. We like to continue working together to see how far we can go together.”
Barbieri’s focus will now briefly shift away from the road as she heads to Munich for the European Championships track cycling with the Italian national team. She will return to racing in Liv Racing Xstra colours later in August.
