Italian climber Simone Petilli, one of the most loyal elements of team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, extends the adventure with the structure of Jean-François Bourlart for two additional seasons until the end of 2025.
Petilli, who has seven years of experience in the World Tour, regularly played a crucial role in the success of his teammates since his arrival within Intermarché-Circus-Wanty in 2020, both in stage races and one day classics.
The 30 year old Lombard also seized opportunities to achieve personal results on home soil, such as his top ten results in the difficult classic Strade Bianchi (9th in 2022), the Giro di Sicilia (8th in 2023) or in mountain stages in the Giro of 2021 and 2023.
This season, Petilli converted a breakaway of 211 kilometer through the vineyards of Vini Fantini into a first podium in a Grand Tour, by taking third place on top of Gran Sasso. Petilli is currently racing his seventh Grand Tour in La Vuelta, the fourth one with the Belgian team.
"I joined the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty family before its entry in the World Tour. As one of the oldest team members, I know its culture and the warm atmosphere. It has always been my priority to stay here, so I was happy to hear in the spring that the management shared this vision. I feel that my contribution to the success of our leaders is valued by everyone. My experience helps me to be competitive all season long, to set realistic goals and to know my limits. From times to times I'm capable of surpassing myself and chase a personal result, with the support and confidence of the team, such as in the Giro this year. I was close to the victory on Gran Sasso, a memory which feeds my motivation to keep working hard to achieve this success one day."
"Simone plays an important role in all races in which he participates, especially in stage races and on difficult parcours. His mindset is geared towards the team and he always handles in function of our common goals. His experience enables him to know exactly how he can be helpful for his leaders. Simone is also gradually growing into a role of team captain. He brings calmness and serenity, which are invaluable qualities within a team in which numerous young talents progressively emerge. Also, after his top ten in the Strade Bianche last year he has recently shown in the Giro that he picks opportunities to fight for personal top results. Thus, his contract extension was a logical choice."
