Pieter Weening, a Dutch veteran who has just signed with Trek-Segafredo, will return to the Giro d'Italia in October.

The 39-year-old has won two Giro stages and contributed to two team time trial victories in his 17-year professional career.

He will be part of Vincenzo Nibali's support team for the race, which runs from October 3-25, and will be primarily on the Italian calendar for the Corsa Rosa. [Trek-Segafredo director sportif Steven de Jong told Eurosport. 'It's great to have him here at a time when all the teams are planning a full race.'

Weening only joined Trek-Segafredo on June 5 and had no team early in the 2020 season before the COVID-19 pandemic. His previous team, Roompot-Charles, disbanded at the end of 2019.

With past stints with Rabobank and GreenEdge, Weening brings a wealth of experience to the US squad: in 2011, he won stage 5 on the Umbrian gravel road and held pink for three days.

Weening has also competed in the Tour de France six times, winning a stage in 2005. He will head to a high-altitude camp next month with the team's other Giro competitors, while the Tour de France team trains in France.

"We will head to the highlands in mid-July," de Jong said. The riders competing in the Giro will train in Italy and then go to France with the riders competing in the Tour."

While Weening will head to Italy with two-time winner Nibali, Bauke Mollema and Richie Porte will lead the Trek in the Tour. Both are in good form before the season resumes in August, de Jong said.

"Richie struggled at the beginning of the lockdown, but he's been very good the last few weeks. We know that Bauke is super professional. He's also in great shape."

The team will return to racing at the Vuelta a Burgos in late July, and Nibali will start at the Strade Bianche on August 1.