ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK

Alpecin-Deceuninck is currently one of the most popular teams in the international peloton. The Belgians made their debut in La Vuelta 21 following a sensational 2020 that saw them become the best team among all the UCI ProTeams, international cycling’s second division. Under the sponsorship of the German hair care brand Alpecin and the Italian interior designer Fenix, the team has a secure present and future. The Belgian team’s name is invariably attached to that of Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel. Linked to the team since 2014, the grandson of Raymond Poulidor is one of the best-performing cyclists in the world right now. At just 26 years old, his victory tally includes four Cyclo-Cross World Championships, one Tour of Flanders, one Strade-Bianche, one Amstel Gold Race and six stages wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. He is a cyclist that appears to be from another time, one that Alpecin-Deceuninck have wisely backed up with two internationally renowned sprinters: Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, stage winner in La Vuelta 20. In 2021, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s debut paid off with two triumphant sprints to the finish-line by Jasper Philipsen, thus continuing its love affair with the race. In the last edition, Jay Vine was one of the race’s main protagonists, obtaining two stage victories and wearing the King of the Mountain jersey for 10 stages, before suffering a fall that ultimately forced him to withdraw from the race.