Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer
U23 Gent-Wevelgem winner Jonas Rutsch will join the WorldTour with EF Education First Pro Cycling. The 22-year-old is the team’s first neo-pro signing for the 2020 season.
“The rise to the WorldTour means that I have reached a career goal already,” said Rutsch. “I have worked towards this since I was a little boy. It was always my dream to become a professional cyclist. I have invested a lot of time and hard work, and I’m really happy to make it to the top level.”
“The kid is a machine,” said EF Education First Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “A well-tuned machine, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator.”
Rutsch’s resume gave him options for the upcoming season. In addition to his competitive Classics results, the German was the only rider on a Continental team to crack the Tour of Luxembourg general classification top ten.
EF Education First’s atmosphere proved attractive to him.
“The team brings a lightness into the world of cycling,” he said. “The team is ambitious and cool with a good direction. It’s an exciting team to follow and I’m excited to explore the world with the team.
“To me, explore the world means discovering new places with amazing people to gain experiences that will broaden my horizons,” Rutsch added. “That can be perfectly pursued while riding for this team.”
Rutsch admits the “tough one-day races” are his favorites, and that is greatest ambitions lies over the cobbled terrain.
“I have always been tall and strong,” he said. “I can use my power in these races.”
“He’s a big rider that seems to climb well and go over cobbles well – and from what I’ve seen, he handles pressure well, too,” said Vaughters. “I think he’s going to be a great Classics rider. I mean, he won Gent-Wevelgem, and I believe is a future Paris-Roubaix winner.”