Alessandro Covi pips Mark Downey for victory on stage 6 in France. The Italian has signed a contract with WorldTour outfit UAE Team Emirates.
Italian cyclist Alessandro Covi signs for UAE Team Emirates
The rider who beat Ireland’s Mark Downey for a Tour de l’Avenir stage win yesterday has just signed for UAE Team Emirates.
Alessandro Covi (19) will ride some races with the team before the end of this season. He will then ride for Italian outfit Team Colpack next year.
However, he will turn out as a stagiaire from August 1st with UAE Team Emirates next year. And he will then take his place full-time with the WorldTour outfit in 2020.
Currently in his second year as an U23 rider, yesterday’s victory at the expense of Downey was by far the biggest of his career to date.
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However, he had also been very successful as a junior. And it is those results, combined with his beginning to now step up at U23 level, which have secured him the contract.
Alessandro Covi with Giuseppe Saronni; the Italian legend is now of UAE Emirates.
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Alessandro Covi was in a nine-man breakaway on stage 6 of the Tour de l’Avenir yesterday, which included Downey and Daire Feeley.
And while Downey very nearly won the day, Covi squeezed past him to take victory in the uphill sprint from the Irishman.
“I’m very happy, I feel UAE Team Emirates can be the best team for becoming a pro rider,” Alessandro Covi said of his new contract.
It had been agreed before yesterday’ win but was announced after the victory.
Won't move up a level yet
“I won’t join the pros in the next season. I feel it’s better to wait for one more year, during which I’ll do my best to improve my skills,” he added.
“Meanwhile, I’ll race as trainee in my new team in this final part of the season“.
He won three UCI 1.1 races as a junior and took several podiums and top 10s in Nations Cup races.
And while Downey’s results are perhaps better in recent years, Covi has clearly impressed the mainly Italian management at UAE Team Emirates in races on the Italian scene.
His success in signing a WorldTour deal shows how close some of the Irish U23 riders are to making that jump.
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