VN news ticker: Euskaltel-Euskadi closes out 2022 roster, Drone Hopper signs 18-year-old, Supply-chain bottlenecks continue to plague suppliers

Euskaltel-Euskadi closes out 2022 roster with Carlos Canal

Euskatel-Euskadi closes out its 2022 roster with 20 riders with the signing of Spanish all-rounder Carlos Canal.

The 20-year-old won junior national titles in cyclocross and mountain bike, and joins the Basque team after racing two seasons with Burgos-BH. In 2021, he was the youngest rider in the Vuelta a España in his grand tour debut.

Team officials said he could develop into a classics-style rider and he will continue to dabble in cyclocross and mountain bike while he continues his studies in industrial engineering. With his signing, the team closes out its 2022 roster, with Asier Etxeberria, Unai Iribar and Xabier Isasa also joining the team for next year.

“Carlos Canal is a young rider with a bright future,” said Jorge Azanza, sport director at Euskaltel-Euskadi. “The fact that he finished the Vuelta at just 20 and rode into an important breakaway reveals that he’s a rider with a lot of potential, and he’s already developed at a good pace in his first two years as a pro. We believe that he’ll keep improving and we’re proud that riders like him want to be part of our project.”

For 2022, the team continues with a mix of veteran pros, such as Juanjo Lobato and Luis Ángel Maté, and a mix of young, promising Spanish riders.

Euskaltel-Euskadi for 2022: Antonio Angulo, Mikel Aristi, Xabier Mikel Azparren, Ibai Azurmendi, Iker Ballarín, Mikel Bizkarra, Joan Bou, Carlos Canal, Unai Cuadrado, Asier Etxeberria, Peio Goikoetxea, Unai Iribar, Julen Irizar, Xabier Isasa, Mikel Iturria, Txomin Juaristi, Juanjo Lobato, Gotzon Martín, Luis Ángel Maté and Antonio Soto.

Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli signs 18-year-old Norwegian prospect

Gianni Savio’s found another diamond in the rough, and this time he’s not even Colombian.

The veteran Italian manager who has a nose for spotting young talent confirmed that 18-year-old Trym Westgaard Holther of Norway will join the new look Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli team for 2022.

“Ours has always been a multi-ethnic team,” Savio said. “Now, with the signing of Trym Holther – whom we consider a real talent – we will have athletes from nine nations: Italy, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Norway, Romania, Spain and Ukraine.”

Holther is a promising time trial talent who could develop into a stage racer with time.

“I’m enthusiastic about the move,” Holther said. “It is a team that has created many great cyclists and I hope to become one of them. In my first year I hope to grow and maybe even get some good results. I think I’m a cronoman who can go uphill and hope to do well in the overall standings. I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with this team.”

Report: Bottlenecks continue to fester for bike manufacturers

Delays in the supply chains are delaying delivering of bikes of up to 12 to 18 months, said the chief executive for Look Cycle.

“They have very long lead times. There’s a few component makers that are today a bottleneck. They’re not going down,” CEO Federico Musi told The Financial Times. “It’s 12 to 18 months easily.”

High demand for bikes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has seen bike manufactures and suppliers scrambling to meet orders. Reports suggest that some within the industry are wary of expanding facilities for fear that the spike in interest in cycling is only a blip. That means it could be another year or more before things are back on track, the paper reported.

“In Asia, there’s a cycling hub. When we buy products there, we buy from factories that only deal with the cycling industry. That’s why there’s a bottleneck,” Musi told TFT. “Being a fully autonomous bike manufacturer for the time being is impossible.”