The 20-year-old Italian has signed a contract that will see him ride for the team until the end of 2027.
U23 ITT National Champion Andrea Raccagni is set to become the sixth Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team rider to move to the World Tour squad in the last two seasons, following in the footsteps of former teammates Gil Gelders, William Junior Lecerf, Pepijn Reinderink, Warre Vangheluwe and Jordi Warlop.
Raccagni has had two solid years with our feeder team, his win at the Nationals in June being the cherry on the top during this time. In addition to that, Andrea proved himself in a number of races, such as Textielprijs Vichte, the U23 Gent-Wevelgem, Brussel-Opwijk and Le Tour des 100 Communes, all of which he finished in the top three. Equally impressive was his outing at the GiroNextGen, where he caught everyone’s attention with the remarkable lead-out skills he possesses, his role being instrumental in Paul Magnier’s pair of stage wins there.
“I’m really happy and proud that this dream I had since I was a kid will come true and I will turn pro with Soudal Quick-Step. I had two good years with the Devo team, learned a lot and I feel that now I’m ready to make the step to the World Tour in just a couple of months. It’s an incredible squad and I kind of feel at home here”, a delighted Andrea explained. “My strongest point is the time trial, but I also have some speed on the flat and on small uphill finishes, so I’m looking forward to discovering what kind of rider I can be. My hope is to become a good Classics rider and to help the team get good results whenever possible.”
“Andrea has what it takes to build himself a nice career in the World Tour ranks. He has the work ethic, the ambition and the mentality to become better and play a role in the squad’s success. He is a real team player, as evidenced by his display at the U23 Giro and the Tour of Slovakia, to name just a few of the races where he has impressed us. We welcome him in the team and can’t wait to see him in action next season”, Soudal Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere said of the promising Italian.
Photo credit: ©BettiniPhoto
Andrea Raccagni