Argos-Shimano completed by Parisien
Peterson, Clarke, Qinghai stage winner Mezgec also new recruits
The Argos-Shimano team has announced the completion of its 28-rider men's professional team for the 2013 season, and nine of the ten riders for its women's team.
Led in its quest for the WorldTour by multiple Vuelta a España stage winner John Degenkolb and Scheldeprijs champion Marcel Kittel, the team completed its roster not with a huge points winner but with an group of promising new riders and solid teammates.
South African Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (MTN) and Slovenian Luka Mezgec (Sava) bring in talent and continental UCI points: van Rensburg had two stage wins at the Volta a Portugal and win in the 1.1-ranked Ronde van Zeeland in addition to four stage wins and the overal Tour du Marco title. Mezgec claimed five stage wins at the 2.HC-ranked Tour of Qinghai Lake.
Also new to the team is Frenchman Warren Barguil, winner of the Tour de l'Avenir and Jonas Ahlstrand, both of whom rode as trainees with the team this season..
The team also picked up Canadian Francois Parisien from the Spidertech team, Tom Peterson from Garmin-Sharp, Georg Preidler from Team Type 1, Will Clarke of Champion System and neo-pro Nikias Arndt.
The women's team is led by Charlotte Becker and Kirsten Wild with junior world champion Lucy Garner. There is one opening yet to be filled.
The complete men’s team: Jonas Ahlstrand (SWE), Nikias Arndt (GER), Bert de Backer (BEL), Warren Barguil (FRA), Will Clarke (AUS), Roy Curvers (NED), Thomas Damuseau (FRA), John Degenkolb (GER), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER), Simon Geschke (GER), Patrick Gretsch (GER), Yann Huguet (FRA), Thierry Hupond (FRA), Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA), Cheng Ji (CHN), Marcel Kittel (GER), Koen de Kort (NED), Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE), Luka Mezgec (SVN), Francois Parisien (CAN), Tom Peterson (USA), Georg Preidler (GER), Ramon Sinkeldam (NED), Matthieu Sprick, Tom Stamsnijder (NED), Albert Timmer (NED) and Tom Veelers (NED).
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The complete women’s team: Charlotte Becker (GER), Lucy Garner (GBR), Marlen Jöhrend (GER), Janneke Kanis (NED), Willeke Knol (NED), Kelly Markus (NED), Amy Pieters (NED), Esra Tromp (NED) and Kirsten Wild (NED). The last spot still needs to be filled.