After years of trying and narrowly missing out on a pro-contract twice at the Zwift Academy finals, Italian rider Mattia Gaffuri has finally earned himself a spot on a WorldTour team, joining Picnic-PostNL on a two-year deal.
The Italian came to cycling relatively late, but quickly made a name for himself in the amateur scene, and has long been recognised for his coaching work and impressive power files, which were part of the reason Picnic-PostNL decided to sign him.
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“Mattia’s story is quite a special one. He’s more of a late comer to the elite level from the sport and comes from the gravel scene,” said team head coach Rudi Kemna in the team’s announcement.
“Once we got in contact and looked at his data, that only confirmed what we’d seen; his numbers are outstanding. At the Italian Championships, for example, his teammate went on to win the pro title, and Mattia played a crucial role in making sure the main favourite never came back.”
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“I’d describe myself as a climber, more of a diesel type with a strong engine, and I know I still have room to grow when it comes to race craft,” said Gaffuri.
“My goal is to become a rider who can target results in smaller stage races, while also being a reliable support for our finishers in the mountains. I’m quite consistent on the bike, and off the bike I’d say I’m a quick learner: once I set my mind to something, I really commit to it.”
“We see him as a rider who, in a few years, can potentially compete in the finales of the Ardennes Classics, while in the Grand Tours, he’s going to be an important piece of the puzzle for our finishers Max and Oscar. Even at the end of the season, he showed some truly impressive things while riding as a stagiaire, so we’re very happy to have him on board for the next few years.”