Team Giant-Alpecin

Team Giant-Alpecin
Team information
UCI code TGA
Registered Netherlands (2005–2014)
Germany (2015– )
Founded 2005
Discipline Road
Status UCI Professional Continental (2005–2012)
UCI WorldTeam (2013– )
Bicycles Colnago (2005)
Koga (2006–2011)
Felt (2012)
Giant (2013– )
Website Team home page
Key personnel
General manager Iwan Spekenbrink
Team name history
2005
2006–2011
2012
2012–2013
2014
2015–		 Shimano-Memory Corp
Skil Shimano
Project 1t4i
Argos-Shimano
Giant-Shimano
Team Giant-Alpecin

Jersey

Team Giant-Alpecin[1] (UCI Team Code: TGA) is a professional German cycling team that participates in UCI ProTour events and, when selected, in UCI Continental Circuits races. The team is managed by Iwan Spekenbrink and uses Giant bicycles.

History

The team has existed since 2005 but Skil previously sponsored a French cycling team, Skil-Sem, from 1984 to 1985, with a similar jersey. Thanks to aggressive strategies during Paris–Nice in 2008 and 2009, the team was awarded a wildcard for the 2009 Tour de France, making it their first appearance in a Grand Tour.

After losing its sponsors at the end of 2011, the team adopted the name "Project 1T4i", standing for "team spirit, inspiration, integrity, improvement and innovation",[2] until a new sponsor was secured. Ahead of the Tour of Flanders on 1 April 2012, the team became Argos-Shimano following the announcement of a three-year naming rights contract with the Argos North Sea Group, an independent oil company based in the Netherlands.[3][4]

In 2012, the team received their second wildcard invitation to the 2012 Tour de France, along with three other French-registered teams Cofidis, Team Europcar and Saur-Sojasun.[5]

In December 2012 it was announced that the team would compete at the World Tour level for the 2013 season.[6]

In September 2014 German shampoo manufacturer Alpecin announced that they would co-sponsor the team alongside Giant for the 2015 season.[7] In December 2014 Sunweb (a Dutch owned international tour operator) was announced as a new major sponsor of the team, signing a 2-year deal.[8] Sunweb also sponsor the cyclocross focussed UCI Continental team – Sunweb-Napoleon Games.

Team roster

As of 1 January 2015.[9]
Rider Date of birth
 Nikias Arndt (GER) 18 November 1991 (aged 23)
 Bert de Backer (BEL) 2 April 1984 (aged 30)
 Warren Barguil (FRA) 28 October 1991 (aged 23)
 Lawson Craddock (USA) 20 February 1992 (aged 22)
 Roy Curvers (NED) 27 December 1979 (aged 35)
 John Degenkolb (GER) 7 January 1989 (aged 25)
 Tom Dumoulin (NED) 11 November 1990 (aged 24)
 Caleb Fairly (USA) 19 February 1987 (aged 27)
 Johannes Fröhlinger (GER) 9 June 1985 (aged 29)
 Simon Geschke (GER) 13 March 1986 (aged 28)
 Lars van der Haar (NED) 23 July 1991 (aged 23)
 Chad Haga (USA) 26 August 1988 (aged 26)
 Thierry Hupond (FRA) 10 November 1984 (aged 30)
 Ji Cheng (CHN) 15 July 1987 (aged 27)
Rider Date of birth
 Carter Jones (USA) 27 February 1989 (aged 25)
 Marcel Kittel (GER) 11 May 1988 (aged 26)
 Koen de Kort (NED) 8 September 1982 (aged 32)
 Fredrik Ludvigsson (SWE) 28 April 1994 (aged 20)
 Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE) 22 February 1991 (aged 23)
 Luka Mezgec (SLO) 27 June 1988 (aged 26)
 Daan Olivier (NED) 24 November 1992 (aged 22)
 Georg Preidler (AUT) 17 June 1990 (aged 24)
 Ramon Sinkeldam (NED) 9 February 1989 (aged 25)
 Tom Stamsnijder (NED) 15 May 1985 (aged 29)
 Albert Timmer (NED) 13 June 1985 (aged 29)
 Tom Veelers (NED) 14 September 1984 (aged 30)
 Zico Waeytens (BEL) 29 September 1991 (aged 23)

    Major results

    2013
    1st Stage 1 Tour of Oman, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 2 Paris–Nice, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 5 Volta a Catalunya, François Parisien
    1st Scheldeprijs, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stages 1, 7 & 8 Tour of Turkey, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, John Degenkolb
    1st Overall Tour de Picardie, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stages 1 & 3, Marcel Kittel
    1st ProRace Berlin, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 3 Ster ZLM Toer, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stages 1, 10, 12 & 21 Tour de France, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 3 Arctic Race of Norway, Nikias Arndt
    1st Vattenfall Cyclassics, John Degenkolb
    1st Stages 13 & 16 Vuelta a España, Warren Barguil
    1st Grote Prijs Jef Scherens, Bert De Backer
    1st Omloop van het Houtland, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stages 2 & 4 Tour de l'Eurometropole, John Degenkolb
    1st Binche–Chimay–Binche, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
    1st Paris–Bourges, John Degenkolb
    1st Paris–Tours, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 5 Tour of Beijing, Luka Mezgec
    2014
    1st People's Choice Classic
    1st Stages 2, 3 & 4 Dubai Tour, Marcel Kittel
    1st Overall Étoile de Bessèges, Tobias Ludvigsson
    1st Stage 5 (ITT), Tobias Ludvigsson
    1st Stages 1, 2 & 3 Tour Méditerranéen, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice, John Degenkolb
    1st Handzame Classic, Luka Mezgec
    1st Stages 1, 2 & 5 Volta a Catalunya, Luka Mezgec
    1st Stage 2 (ITT) Critérium International, Tom Dumoulin
    1st Gent–Wevelgem, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 2 Circuit de la Sarthe, Jonas Ahlstrand
    1st Scheldeprijs, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stages 2 & 3 Giro d'Italia, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 4 Four Days of Dunkirk, Thierry Hupond
    1st Stage 2 World Ports Classic, Ramon Sinkeldam
    1st Stage 21 Giro d'Italia, Luka Mezgec
    1st Stage 3 Critérium du Dauphiné, Nikias Arndt
    1st Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau, Simon Geschke
    1st Stage 1 Ster ZLM Toer, Marcel Kittel
    1st  Netherlands National Time Trial Championships, Tom Dumoulin
    1st Stage 1, 3, 4 and 21 Tour de France, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 3 (ITT) Eneco Tour, Tom Dumoulin
    1st Points classification Vuelta a Espana, John Degenkolb
    1st Stages 4, 5, 12 & 17, John Degenkolb
    1st Prologue Tour of Alberta, Tom Dumoulin
    1st Stage 2 Tour of Alberta, Jonas Ahlstrand
    1st Stages 1 & 8b Tour of Britain, Marcel Kittel
    1st Paris-Bourges, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 1 Tour of Beijing, Luka Mezgec
    2015
    1st People's Choice Classic, Marcel Kittel
    1st Stage 3, Dubai Tour, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 2 Tour du Haut Var, Luka Mezgec
    1st Milan – San Remo, John Degenkolb
    1st Stage 6 (ITT) Tour of the Basque Country, Tom Dumoulin
    1st Paris - Roubaix, John Degenkolb

    National Champions

    2005
    1st Japan Road Race Championships, Hidenori Nodera
    2008
    1st Japan Road Race Championships, Hidenori Nodera
    2012
    1st Japan Road Race Championships, Yukihiro Doi
    2014
    1st Dutch Time Trial Championships, Tom Dumoulin

    References

    1. ↑ ProCyclingStats. "Team Giant - Alpecin 2015". procyclingstats.com.
    2. ↑ Sam Dansie. "1T4I unveils young squad with big ambition". Cyclingnews.com.
    3. ↑ "1t4i-ploeg heet vanaf zondag Argos-Shimano" [1T4i-team is called Argos-Shimano from next Sunday on]. Sporza (in Dutch) (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie). 30 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
    4. ↑ Benson, Daniel (30 March 2012). "Argos-Shimano cycling team presented in Rotterdam". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved 30 March 2012.
    5. ↑ "Argos-Shimano receives Tour de France wildcard invitation". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). 6 April 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
    6. ↑ "Argos-Shimano Team celebrates its new WorldTour license". CyclingNews (Future Publishing Limited). 10 December 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
    7. ↑ "German shampoo maker Alpecin to sponsor Giant". VeloNews. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
    8. ↑ Cycling News. "Sunweb signs two-year deal with Giant-Alpecin". Cyclingnews.com.
    9. ↑ "Team Giant-Shimano (GIA) – NED". UCI World Tour. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 10 January 2015.

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Skil-Shimano.