The new Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling team announces its 2015 lineup

Roughly three months following the announcement that Cannondale and Slipstream Sports, the management company of Garmin-Sharp, would merge their two WorldTour teams for 2015, Slipstream has revealed its 2015 lineup. The new team will be known as Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling. Cannondale machines will replace Garmin-Sharpe’s Cervélos as the Bethel, Conn.-based bike manufacturer moves into the role of title and technical sponsor. It has also taken an ownership stake in Slipstream Sports LLC. Garmin, which has been a partner since 2008, will be a co-sponsor.

Another feature of the team that dates back to 2008 is Victoria’s Ryder Hesjedal. He will continue to ride with the team in 2015. In 2014, Hesjedal supported fellow his teammates, such as Dan Martin and his Tour de Beijing stage win and Andrew Talansky and his Critérium du Dauphiné victory. Hesjedal, who won the Giro d’Italia in 2012, also added to his palmares with his win on Stage 14 of the Vuelta a España. In the new season, he will be one of the senior riders who will provide leadership and guidance to the new, younger riders on the team.

Tom Danielson, another senior team member, will also continue with the team. Other familiar names from Garmin-Sharp include Martin, Talansky, Janier Acevedo, Nathan Haas, Alex Howes, Ben King, Ramūnas Navardauskas, Jack Bauer, Nate Brown, Sebastian Langeveld and Tom-Jelte Slagter.

From the 2014 Cannondale squad come Alberto Bettiol, Moreno Moser, Ted King, Kristjian Koren, Alan Marangoni, Matej Mohoric, Davide Villella and Davide Formolo. André Cardoso, Joe Dombrowski, Lasse Hansen, Dylan Van Baarle and Ruben Zepuntke round out the team.

The merger couldn’t include all the riders from the previous two teams. Both Phil Gaimon (Garmin-Sharp) and Montreal’s Guillaume Boivin (Cannondale) have gone to Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies. Cannondale’s highest profile rider, Peter Sagan, has joined Alberto Contador at Tinkoff-Saxo.

“I’m very excited about our 2015 team. We began as a small group with the mission of developing young riders and we have stayed true to that mission year after year, even as we have grown. The 2015 team is our youngest group of athletes yet, and it’s also young in that it’s a new team, and we have joined forces with Cannondale,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling. “That gives us huge opportunities. What you can expect to see is an extremely talented group of young riders who will benefit greatly from the leadership and guidance of more experienced guys like Langeveld, Martin, Hesjedal and Talansky. This is a team that will come into racing with a lot of enthusiasm and spirit, and will rely on teamwork, tactics, perseverance and creativity to give great performances.”

Director Charly Wegelius added,“Anytime you have the benefit of youth and experience, you are poised for growth and opportunity. Every rider on this team is capable of greatness, and together as a team, we have huge potential. Our goal will be to harness that potential, relying on our more experienced guys, to create a very exciting year.”

The riders of Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling will meet for the first time in Wilton, Conn. They will then travel to the British Virgin Islands where they will set sail for four days around the Island of Tortola. This trip is for team building and leadership exercises. There will also be hiking and swimming added to the mix.

“Like cycling, sailing is a team sport,” said Vaughters. “The idea with sailing and living on the boats is to take these guys totally out of their comfort zone and get to know each other and work together under difficult circumstances. For many if not most, this will be a totally foreign activity—so they will need to support each other just as they will all season during races.”

Hesjedal, who’s had a break since the Tour of Beijing, is keen on the trip. “I’ve had about a month break since Beijing and I got to spend some quality time with friends and family in Canada, Missouri and Maui,” said Hesjedal. “Kicking things off here in Connecticut has been great and we have a sailing adventure to look forward to; it’s a nice way to come together and get to know new teammates. I’m ready to get back into training and I’m super motivated for 2015.”