Eritrean time trial champion Amanuel Gebregxabier and youngsters Antonio Tiberi and Matthias Skjelmoes Jensen have signed two-year contracts to join the American WorldTour team Trek-Segafredo next year.

The 26-year-old Gebré Xavier has spent the past three seasons riding at the World Tour level for NTT Pro Cycling and its predecessor, Dimension Data. The future of that team is still up in the air, but for Trek Segafredo coach Luca Guercilena, Gebregxavier's potential is clear.

"Amanuel is already an established rider, but we believe there is still room for improvement. His profile is what we were looking for, investing in a solid, still young climber."

Ghebreigzabhier was Eritrean road race champion in 2014, won the African continental championship road race in 2018, and took the national time trial title last season.

"We see great potential in Amanuel and hope that by working together we can help him reach his potential. He will be a valuable asset to the team and will support the leader, especially in the mountains during the stage races," said Guercilena.

"For me, this is a great opportunity for growth and I intend to make the most of it," said Gebrsel Xavier. 'Since turning pro in 2018, I've gained great experience in stage races. My first goal is to further improve in these endurance races, especially in the Grand Tours."

Gebré Xavier already has four Grand Tours under his belt, having raced the Giro d'Italia in 2019 and this year (including a ninth-place finish on stage 17 to Madonna di Campiglio) and the Vuelta a España in 2018 and 2019.

"It excites me to be able to race with a champion like Vincenzo Nibali, for example. I really can't wait to meet my new team."

Tiberi won the junior time trial title at the World Championships in Harrogate, England at the end of 2019, and American Quinn Simmons won the junior road race, with both riders being touted as future stars of Trek-Segafredo and picked Both athletes were noticed and picked up as future stars of Trek-Segafredo. And while Simmons joined the team immediately this season--he had a tumultuous first year on the World Tour--Tiberi has been selected to ride for one season at the under-23 level with Team Kolpak Baran.

The 19-year-old won solo at the Trofeo Città di San Vendemiano in September, and last month at the Brabante Pile as a stagiaire for Trek-Segafredo, where he raced at the level expected of him in 2021 and beyond.

"The 2020 season will be dedicated to my final preparation for entering the professional world, and I definitely feel ready," Tiberi said.

"The transition from junior to pro was like a slap in the face, it hurt, but it helped a lot. From there, I was able to grow and improve because of the advice I received from my team.

"My staged debut at Brabantspaille was very emotional. 'Everyone gave me a warm welcome and I felt an incredible group strength. It was a tough experience, a quasi-classic race in Belgium.

"I am an ambitious person, but this year I realized that I need to learn to stay grounded in order to reach the goal I have in mind.

Like Tiberi, Skjermors Jensen also ran Brabantspijl in October as a Trek Segafredo stagiaire, and in the two months before that he ran Antwerp Port Epic, Memorial Pantani and Trofeo Matteotti.

The 20-year-old Dane joins from the Continental-level Leopard Pro Cycling team, but has already begun to familiarize himself with his future teammates.

"I met the team in Sicily last December and already there I got a great feeling about the team, where everyone jokes together and supports each other. That was really important to me.

"As a stage racer, riding for the team in Italy and Belgium, I felt that the whole team was very supportive about the whole process. It is much easier to perform when you can just focus on the race. For me, it was a breakthrough and I believe that with this team I can race to the best of my ability," said Skjelmors Jensen.

"Tiberi and Skjelmors Jensen's formal path to the pros is the conclusion of a growth process that has been underway together for over a year now. We believe in their talent and have followed them throughout this season."

"They will find the ideal environment where they can grow without the pressure of having to prove something. They can ride alongside successful riders and learn from them, and our goal for 2021 is to see them grow with each race."

.