Mattia Cattaneo prolongs deal with Deceuninck-Quick-Step: The Wolfpack is a unique squad in cycling
Nov 17 2021 07:58 am CET
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Deceuninck-Quick-Step has announced the contract extension of Italian rider Mattia Cattaneo until the end of 2023.
The rider arrived to the Belgian squad in 2020 and has a palmares that includes a win at the Giro dell'Appennino and at one stage of the Tour de Luxembourg, and top five positions in stages of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, as well as in the GC standings of races like the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of the Alps, among others.
"I am super happy and proud to continue with the team," said Cattaneo. "The Wolfpack is a unique squad in cycling, and it is a pleasure to ride with them and work for the team. I give my support to the leader in the race, and they have been good in giving me my own opportunities.
"I think that it is hard for people to understand the team and how it works. You can see from outside that everybody has a close relationship and what the Wolfpack means, but when you are inside it is even better than you would expect. It is why I am happy to help the captain for the hard days in the Grand Tours and in certain races, but I know they will work for me in some specific races and help me try to get results."
The Italian has clear objectives in his development as a rider. "I am proud of how my TT has progressed," he explained. "I love the discipline and my next goal will be to improve as a specialist, and I have been doing some work with the team and with Specialized to look at how I can improve. Hopefully in the next two years, I can progress even more and look to score some more TT victories – I dream of being one of the best TT riders in the world.
"It will be super hard, but I took 5th and 8th in the time trials at the Tour de France and I think it is possible to improve, to be one of the top 5 riders in the world. I would love to wear the jersey of the Italian National Champion, but it is a bit difficult because the number 1 is the best in the world! But I will for sure try to close the gap on Ganna."
Deceuninck-Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere is also delighted with the renewal. "It is a big thing for us to have Mattia stay with us for the next two years," he commented. "He is an incredibly talented yet humble guy, who will work all day for his teammates. We have also seen his individual qualities, with some strong climbing performances, especially at the Tour de France, and that he is improving all the time as a time trial rider. So, on several fronts, we are really looking forward to working with him for two more years."
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