Trinity Racing

Luke Lamperti

Paul Magnier

Lukas Nerurkar

Max Walker

Liam Johnston

Fergus Browning

Robert Donaldson

Camilo Gomez Gomez

Dean Harvey

Kevin McCambridge

Callum Thornley

Joseph Pidcock

Finlay Pickering

Luke Tuckwell

Adrien Boichis

Oliver Rees

Will Smith

Cameron Mason

Tobias Nakken

Alex Malacarne

Ralf Holden

Hugo Rodriguez

Racing

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Soudal Quick-Step sign 19-year-old multi-discipline talent Paul Magnier

Paul Magnier took the bronze medal at the U23 European Championship Road Race this year

 has put pen to paper on a three-year deal that will see him ride for Patrick Lefevere's squad until the end of 2026. 

The Frenchman's transfer will see him join forces with fellow Trinity teammate 

 at the Belgian squad, whose move was confirmed to 

Luke Lamperti signs two-year contract with Soudal-Quick Step

With the talks of a merger with Jumbo-Visma (

) long behind them, Belgian WorldTeam Soudal Quick-Step are casting their eyes to the future, and Magnier has become their sixth signing under the age of 23 ahead of the new season. 

With the look of a punchy one-day racer about him, it is no surprise to see Magnier delighted to join forces with 

 on the Quick-Step squad, a rider whom he will have no doubt idolised whilst growing up. 

"It’s incredible to be on the same team as Julian Alaphilippe, a two-time World Champion who told me great things about the Wolfpack," said Magnier. 

"I already got a warm welcome here and I love it. It’s also important for me that I will continue to ride the 

 bikes, which I love, and I want to thank everyone for this fantastic opportunity."

Magnier has ridden a Specialized bike throughout 2023 with Trinity Racing, a UCI Continental side based in the United Kingdom. To make the jump from Conti to 

 level is a brave move for a rider still aged 19, but Magnier has spoken of his excitement at joining the most successful team of the last 23 years. 

"I feel very excited and proud to be part of this fantastic team and I can’t wait to join Soudal Quick-Step for the first training camp in Calpe. This is a squad with an immense tradition when it comes to developing young riders, and as I love the Classics, I know I am in the right place."

Promising results as an U23 pay off for Magnier

Hailing from Grenoble in France, Magnier has only been interested in professional cycling for six years, but soon picked up a plethora of results that shot him into prominence as one of the most exciting talents from the U23 peloton. 

Magnier is not only a road racer but also a mountain biker, and it is in this discipline that he won a bronze medal at the 2022 Junior Mountain Bike World Championships, a performance equalled on the road this season at the European Championships. 

Away from championship events, Magnier's progression has been equally impressive. The Frenchman rode as a junior for his nation at the Giro della Lunigiana last year and won two stages on his way to sealing second place overall, behind recent 

Racing in Trinity colours this season, Magnier came to the fore at the 

 amongst the elites, placing 20th after consistent performances throughout the eight stages. His displays have been enough to garner the attention, interest and now signature of Quick-Step team boss Lefevere. 

“We’ve been following Paul for quite some time now and he had a very impressive run in the junior and U23 ranks," said the Belgian. 

"He is very versatile and talented – as shown by his remarkable results across several disciplines – has a lot of potential, and at the same time, he is eager to learn and gain experience. These things make us excited and confident for the upcoming season.”

Interviews

Rising star: Cameron Mason on his cyclo-cross breakthrough, road ambitions, and doing things his own way

Cameron Mason on the podium of the European Cyclo-cross Championships

 became the first non-Dutch or Belgian elite male rider to medal in the 

, turning the promising signs already shown this season into a huge stride forward, and leaving a sense that there’s more to come this winter.

But there’s far more to Mason that ‘cross, with the 23-year-old Scot also a regular on the mountain bike scene and, as of last year, on the gravel circuit. Throw in some nascent road ambitions, a passion for bikepacking and adventure riding, not to mention a spot of YouTubing, and we have the latest name on the conveyor belt of multi-disciplinarians in modern cycling.

’s development – after there years and signing for Cyclocross Reds, not only a leading ‘cross team but also part of the Roodhooft brothers’ stable that also includes the 

 WorldTour road team and its development squad.

 caught up with Mason this week to hear not only about his storming progress in the Belgian mud and sand, but also the longer-term shape of his career, his journey to this point, and his philosophy on cycling in general.

He’s fastest, he says, is when he’s happiest, and what shines through when talking to Mason, as when watching his YouTube videos, is that he’s as rounded an athlete as you’re ever likely to meet.

GCN: This feels like a breakthrough season for you – does it feel that way to you?

 Sunday was a big breakthrough. I’m only just realising now how significant the Euros are in the world of cyclo-cross. But last season, the smaller ‘cross calendar I did felt maybe even more significant. I was a first-year elite and just did 10 or so races and every single race was in the top 10 or top five. That gave me confidence that if I really focus on ‘cross, do a proper calendar, then there’s no reason why I can’t be at the front of every race. That’s what I’m hoping for this season.

GCN: You’re with a new team this season. How did the move to Cyclocross Reds come about?

 It was time to move on from Trinity. They’re a development team and I think I’d developed enough. I was comfortable there but sometimes comfortable is not the best thing. I needed to keep things moving and go to that next level. I started talking to Cyclocross Reds at the end of the last ‘cross season then through the summer. It was just about finding that right balance of support I needed. One of the main things around that is the multi-discipline, so although I’m riding for Cyclocross Reds now, there are a lot of opportunities to be had in the summer too, with road, gravel, and mountain bike. There was interest from other cyclo-cross teams but I don’t think I could have gone somewhere that could have supported the multi-discipline as well as Alpecin and Cyclocross Reds.

GCN: You mention Alpecin, but so far there has been no public confirmation of you being part of that road set-up, and you’ve hardly done any road in your career so far. So where exactly does that fit into your plans?

Because I’ve done so little, there is that question mark over whether I have that depth to deal with it, but what I did in gravel last summer showed I can perform over longer durations. Of course, gravel is a lot less tactical and the punch is different, but I think it shows my body will be able to take that kind of load, and with the right races and the right programme there’s no reason I can’t… I’ll be starting from a lower level, but the development should be pretty quick, actually, once I get racing. The priorities after ‘cross season will be rest and reset then look forward to getting in good road/gravel shape to start ticking off more goals during summer.

GCN: Have you got a schedule in place yet for road racing?

 The specifics aren’t on the table yet, but I know that, no matter the programme, I’ll be gaining experience and improving in road. The direction we can definitely bring to the early part of next year is to get me racing, get me learning, then pick out some goals that can start to show my potential.

GCN: You might have the potential, but do you think you’ll actually enjoy the road?

I know I’m most happy when I’m off-road. It’s more interesting and more fun to me. But I also enjoy being good at things, and what I’ve not a had an opportunity to do before is have more of road focus to see what’s possible. A bit more specific preparation, bringing a bit of a higher level to the road, will open some doors, to how fun it can be… animating the race, working with teammates, that kind of stuff. I’m a fan of the sport and I want to be as part of it. It will also benefit my cyclo-cross. Having that level of intensity during the summer can only be a good thing.

GCN: What are your standout moments from the road racing you have done?

I could probably talk you through them all in two minutes. The Tour Alsace two years ago, a UCI 2.2… that was a massive wake-up call. I wasn’t prepared enough for that. Technically I was sweet, tactically I had the minerals, but my level dropped off so much after two or three hours that I just wasn’t useful. It opened my eyes to just how physically hard road racing is. What Van Aert and Van der Poel have is that depth they’ve built over the past five, six, seven years, and I’ve not trained like a road pro, ever. With this team, with the high level of support, that’s going to allow me reach higher levels in road.

GCN: You mentioned gravel in the same breath as road, so how exactly does that fit into your plans?

I think gravel will go really well with the road programme. The gravel races I’ve done well in have been around 100km – longer than that and I’ve struggled, because I don’t have the WorldTour fitness. Gravel Worlds being 170km was over the limit of what I could handle. But I’ve shown I have punch, technique, race craft. All the things road riders struggle with, I already have, and what I don’t have are the things you can hopefully train for. I think there’s loads of headroom in gravel, especially for me. If I can be in those key moments, with the gas, that’s where things get exciting.

Mountain bike is the thing I’ve struggled a bit more with in the past few years. The high-level, top-end punch needs to be so, so high and your conditioning is so so important. There are so many specific things you need and I’ve struggled with that, so the focus will be more towards road and gravel in the next few years.

GCN: Broadening things out a little, what’s striking is your journey to this point, resisting the options to specialise in one department – which could be seen as easier options. You’ve not gone down the British Cycling route and Trinity is hardly a traditional U23 team. Have you always had that clarity of vision and have you ever questioned the path you’ve taken?

I’m one of the least connected British cyclists to British Cycling that there is. I’ve never been on a senior programme, I’ve never had funding. A lot of riders do flourish within a British Cycling programme, where the direction is simple; you go in, train, go home, focus on the Olympics. But because I’ve not had that, it’s made me more of a diverse athlete, and there’s way more value in that right now.

It does depend on the athlete. I’m someone who’s always found my own way, and I don’t actually feel like I’ve ever needed British Cycling’s help. The biggest thing British Cycling has done for me is support clubs and club coaching, because what I credit all of my cycling skills and enjoyment to is West Lothian Clarion, where it all started. 

After that, I had some support from Scottish Cycling, but that being one step down from British Cycling, it allowed me to keep my freedom, so I was encouraged to still do my cyclo-cross and other bits while also being on their mountain bike programme. I don’t see a world where I could have done that and been on a British Cycling program.

GCN: Has there been a key figure – a manager or a coach – who’s been in your corner on this journey?

All the staff at Trinity were great, but James McCallum, my coach and mentor… our relationship started when I was 12 or 13. He was this amazing Commonwealth athlete who I was looking up to, and he started coaching me and mentoring me through all my development, getting out to Belgium, and now he’s still my coach while I’m at one of the biggest pro teams in Belgium, so a lot of credit to Jimmy.

GCN: It’s interesting you say mentor, as well as coach…

It’s his experience, especially in multi-discipline. He coaches enduro riders, cyclo-cross riders, Conti road riders. As I get older, I need less support in coaching so a lot of our conversations are about direction, mindset, and all that stuff that’s not just Training Peaks and intervals. Looking after the person, that’s what Jimmy does well.

GCN: I guess you’ve also taken inspiration from the likes of Van der Poel, Van Aert and of course Tom Pidcock, when it comes to making all these disciplines work?

Even if I wasn’t racing, I’d be a fan of Wout, Mathieu, Tom, all these guys. I’m just a massive cycling fan. It just happens to be that I get closer to them than the average fan. My opinion hasn’t changed on any of them. If anything, I’ve realised even better than the general public how much they love bike racing. That’s perfect, to realise your idols are in it for the exact same reasons as you, it makes things pretty clear why they do it and why I do it.

GCN: Why do you do it? As someone with such a broad love for cycling, how would you define your cycling philosophy?

 I’ve never been that one goal driven person. I’m not obsessed with the Olympics, I’m not obsessed with world champs’ jerseys. I’m more a step-by-step person, and I get so much enjoyment out of just riding my bike, that that’s what’s going to motivate me. I have seen, though, that when that enjoyment does go away, then I do struggle to stay motivated. That’s when I’d need a rest or a bit of a change, and I’m always going to have a mix of disciplines because of that. I see WorldTour pros doing their massive training rides on one bike, on similar routes, for 10 years in a row, and I just don’t think that could ever be me. But that’s cool. You could put me on the same training program as any old WorldTour rider but it’s not going to make me happy, which in turn won’t make me fast. The happiest I am, and the most relaxed and motivated I am, that’s the fastest version of me.

GCN: Can you think of any specific times when you’ve needed to press that re-set button?

I had a bad crash in COVID, I broke my humerus, needed a lot of surgery and the recovery was long and slow. I got back actually much better than expected and had a great season on the back of it but I carried that momentum too long, so ended up racing 13 months non-stop – just because in the back of my head the clock was ticking. That was a mistake because I dug myself quite a deep hole. This time last year I was planning my cyclo-cross season and I just realised it was too much. I took two months to fully re-set and I arrived at the ‘cross season pretty late but my enjoyment was there, my level was there. I’d levelled up. 

It showed me that if I’m ever struggling, it might only take that type of re-set to find that enjoyment and energy again. There’s always a race to be good for. The hard part is being bold enough to say ‘I’m not going to be good at that race’. That’s actually what the top guys do really well; they’re ruthless with their program. If they turn up, they’re there for a reason.

GCN: How much have you spoken with the Roodhooft brothers about all of this, and how receptive are they to your overall outlook on cycling?

They know the best results come from riders who are happiest. They want to support my bike riding 100% and the support they’ve already shown has been massive, going the extra levels to make sure I have everything I need. As a British rider in a team that’s quite Belgian, especially on the ‘cross side, I really appreciate the little things.

GCN: Are you still coached by James McCallum or have you moved on to the team’s coaching staff?

My day-to-day coaching is still with Jimmy, and will be for the rest of the ‘cross season. I made it quite clear to the team that I didn’t want to change too much too soon. The bike changed, the staff, and I didn’t want that to also be the training. If things went wrong, it’d be harder to pinpoint the issue. The team are happy for me to keep working with Jimmy for now then I’ll probably transition over to the team’s performance staff after the ‘cross season. There’s a lot to be gained from working with staff in a team as big as Alpecin. Then Jimmy will then be continuing in that mentor role, because he’s the person who knows me best. I think that’s a really good way forward.

GCN: Bringing things back to the here and now, you’ve got Superprestige Niel and the World Cup in Dendermonde coming up this weekend. With that silver medal in the pocket, what are your goals for the rest of the ‘cross season?

 Sunday showed I have the potential to win and my next goal is 100% to win a big race – that’s a clear goal. The good thing is it’s not just one race, nothing too specific. I’m not saying I want to medal at Worlds – I’m not a fan of that type of goal, but I know if keep doing what I’m doing and keep being the best version of myself then I can get really close to a win in a World Cup and that’s really motivating. My schedule is not as full as some others. This block has been busy so I’m going home after Dendermonde for three weeks, which will include the Dublin World Cup, then back to Belgium in the run-up to Christmas, then later the Nationals and Worlds block. I’m keen to race in Februrary, too. I’ve never raced that last moth of the ‘cross season and there are loads of good races in there for me, so if I really want to show how good a ‘cross rider I am, I should be racing those races, and that’s pretty exciting, too.

Watch the best of the cyclo-cross season live on

, including the World Cup, Superprestige, X2O & Exact series plus the UCI World Championships, with replays available on demand. Territory restrictions apply,

Colbrelli to step up as Bahrain Victorious sports director but ‘no chance’ of Quintana joining

Sonny Colbrelli is a former winner of Paris-Roubaix

 will take on more sports director responsibilities in 2024 as he moves away from the ambassador role he accepted post-retirement.

Colbrelli rode for the team between 2017 and 2022 before health problems forced him to retire mid-way through this final season. In 2023 the Italian engaged in light sports director work but that will increase next season with the 33-year-old set to take the UCI’s sports director course and exam later this year.

How cycling broke Sonny Colbrelli's heart

“At the moment no one is coming in but Sonny is going to do the UCI course later this month,” team boss Milan Eržen told 

“So he will be more and more involved, especially in the Belgian Classics. So we’ll have about seven or eight sports directors. This year Sonny was an ambassador for the team but we already had him at races because he has huge experience when it comes to Belgium and races like Paris-Roubaix. Next year he will have more involvement. He’s a legend. The young guys could see him on TV and now they get to work with him at the race. That's a huge motivation for the young riders.”

Alberto Volpi, who was a pro rider in the 1980s and 1990s, will step away from his role as a sports director on the team and become the general manager of the 

The rider roster for Bahrain Victorious also appears settled with Eržen confirming that the team will race with 28 riders in 2024. That will not include Nairo Quintana, who has been consistently linked with the team for almost a year.

“We are full and there’s no chance of that,” Eržen said.

“Who is putting out this information and connecting us? I have nothing against Nairo, and I still think that he’s a good rider who can do results but ambience might not be good for him. Really we’ve never talked.”

 but rather than replace the Spaniard with a like-for-like GC rider, Eržen has recruited young riders, such as Finlay Pickering from 

. The plan is to develop aspiring WorldTour pros, while also supporting the likes of 

“Now our focus is on young guys for the future and we try to win with these guys. I don’t think investing in older guys is the right way. We have 28 riders for next year and we don’t run a third programme. We’ll do the WorldTour and some preparation races, and that’s it. Jumbo and UAE, these teams are running full third programmes to see who is the best in the world at the end of the year but we focus on the WorldTour,” Eržen said.

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Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Luke Lamperti	21	10	362
Paul Magnier	20	2	281
Lukas Nerurkar	20	2	279
Max Walker	22	0	76
Liam Johnston	21	0	66

Trinity Racing

Trinity Racing

The Team

Top Trinity Racing Stories

Soudal Quick-Step sign 19-year-old multi-discipline talent Paul Magnier

Rising star: Cameron Mason on his cyclo-cross breakthrough, road ambitions, and doing things his own way

Colbrelli to step up as Bahrain Victorious sports director but ‘no chance’ of Quintana joining

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