Welcome Ki Ho Choi

Age: 33 | Lvl: 4.100 | Pot: 7
Wage: 275,000

FLA	MO	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DHW	PRO
70	80	73	74	76	75	78	62	58	67	67	70	73

Choi joins us via transfer from Sony - Force India where he had a stellar 2023 season finishing as the 11th best rider in the PCT, which included a memorable win in the Tour de Romandie, guiding his team to their best ever finish of 8th in the division!

His wage is very reasonable for what we believe he can bring to the team in 2024. As part of his transfer, we moved some funds & saw one of our own go the other way (this will be covered separately).

Although Ki Ho is now starting to move into the back end of his career, at age 33, he still has plenty to offer. He will be one of our leaders in Stage Races this season and has a crucial role to play in providing solid performances and consistent scoring throughout the year.

The keen eyed amongst you will note that this appears to be a shift of focus to outside of Europe. Let's just say, stay tuned for more throughout the year

Chen Shikai Signs

Age: 32 | Lvl: 4.100 | Pot: 6
Wage: 525,000

FLA	MO	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DHW	PRO
72	81	71	76	74	76	78	55	57	67	59	69	76

Shikai joins us in a deal which saw cult hero Enric Mas go the other way + a bit of cash. The Chinese Stage Racer wrote his name into Asian Cycling folklore last season when he won the Giro d'Italia. It was an altogether great season from Shikai as he individually finished 33rd in the PT Rankings.

He joins as our highest paid rider which seems fitting given his credentials. He will be our primary Stage Race Leader this season with the earlier announced Ki Ho Choi riding where he is not and Conci also taking some leadership.

At 32, Chen has 1 year remaining at his current level but we expect he will continue to be effective for at least an additional year after that. His strength and experience will be crucial as the youth within the team continue to develop and shine through.

We look forward to seeing what he can do in our team this year! We aren't expecting another Grand Tour win but we know he will be strong and consistent throughout which is all we need from him.

We've got Gaday!

Age: 31 | Lvl: 4.100 | Pot: 5
Wage: 340,000

FLA	MO	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DHW	PRO
71	67	75	65	75	72	71	78	71	73	61	64	68

Lucas Manuel Gaday has joined us after a drawn out bidding war in which we proved successful in getting our man! He was the 5th best individual rider in the 2023 Continental Tour in which he won 3 classics and had multiple other Top 10 results.

A seasoned rider at 31, Gaday has all the skills and the experience to contribute to a part of our team in which we have never been particularly strong. Although he may not be quite as skilled as some of his PT competition, we believe he will be able to score important points during the 2024 season.

The Monk is also here!

Age: 28 | Lvl: 4.100 | Pot: 4
Wage: 90,000

FLA	MO	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DHW	PRO
74	60	66	69	76	70	70	76	61	70	72	77	69

Cyrus Monk also joins us from the Free Agency, this time on a wage of 90,000 which we feel is fair given his skills.

The 28yr old Australian is a quality cobblestone rider who will provide strong support to our new leader, Gaday, while also adding to our growing Australian contingent.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE

Age: 27 | Lvl: 4.100 | Pot: 5
Wage: 330,000

FLA	MO	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DHW	PRO
70	75	78	69	72	73	73	58	64	74	75	66	72

Michael Storer becomes our 5th signing of the season and 3rd from the Free Agency. He takes home quite a generous pay after some last minute pushes by opposition managers saw his wage go well above what it seemed we may get him for.

Although not at the elite level as a Puncheur, we believe that he will be able to score well with the freedom of being a leader alongside our young trio coming up through the ranks. We're not expecting him to do anything too crazy but consistently solid scoring throughout the season will be considered a success.

We look forward to seeing Michael ride in our colours and he becomes another Australian to join our ranks in 2024.

The ZARA - Irizar 2024 Team Presentation begins with a focus on our Climbers & Stage Racers.

This part of the team is spear-headed by the Asian duo of Chen Shikai and Ki Ho Choi. Both were signings that came to us during this transfer window, as has previously been announced. They will ride very separate schedules due to the demands of the Pro-Tour calendar while their participation in Grand Tours will be announced at a later date. We expect they'll be a very successful duo.

Nicola Conci has had the eyes of many on him for some time, and for good reason. The Italian joined us at the age of 21 back in 2018 and has been showing very strong form in the PCT where he was 22nd in 2022 and in the PT where he managed more than 500 points last season. Budget constraints this season unfortunately don't allow for further training camps but we believe he will only thrive further with the two leaders taking the pressure off of his young shoulders.

Oscar Rodriguez joined us last season and will continue to be a stronger domestique more so in the Mountains and the Hills while his countryman, Marc Soler, has slightly different strengths such as in the time trials.

We believe these 5 riders are complimentary to one another and we expect they will provide well for us in 2024. We are, however, aware that this side of the team is not particularly young and will require further investment and reinforcement in the future.

We continue our team presentation with our Puncheurs. With Borges released and Mas sold, it is a part of the team which has seen significant change & development.

Our key leader in this part of the team is 27yr old Australian, Michael Storer. He is one of our higher paid riders and we are able to benefit from his talents for many years to come. It is possible we will look into some training for him in the future but, for now, he will need to deliver with what he has.

His main right-hand man is Leonardo Henrique Finkler, who completed his final year of development in 2023 and is now ready to be a very strong helping hand to Storer. He also packs a decent punch and so we anticipate he will work well in conjunction with the Aussie.

Jan Dieteren was a last minute signing on minimum wage but he brings experience to what is otherwise a very youthful department in the team.

Luis Fernando De La Cruz Chapulin and Pau Miquel round off this part of the team. Both are only 24 with Chapulin fairly similar to Finkler while Miquel doesn't quite pack that same punch. They will be ready to contribute in full force in 2025 but they will already prove useful this season.

Although not the strongest part of the team, we have youth on our side and some talented riders. We will see how they go in 2024 and review whether some smart investment in the future will set-us up for even better success going forward.