The 29-year-old has raced virtually his entire ten-year WorldTour career with the team, so he didn’t hesitate to stay with the riders and staff members he’s developed such deep bonds with.

“For me, the staff is so important,” Bettiol says. “They are such a good crew, all of them. My history as a professional cyclist is based on this team and the mentality of this team. I’ve grown up with them. It’s like a second family for me when I go to the races. They make me feel at home. I’ve been growing up with the same people for almost ten years now and I still see more opportunities for my growth.”

Bettiol appreciates the close relationships he’s built with the staff who have been remarkably consistent over his career. The experiences they have shared together have allowed them to develop a mutual sense of trust and respect.

“This team has helped me grow up as a rider and also as a person. This aspect was important for me when I decided to renew with the team. It’s like I’ve started a long journey and I don’t feel that I’ve reached the finish line yet. I still need to work, I still need to grow and ultimately that’s why I stayed with the team. With our sport directors, they are mostly the same as when I first joined the team, plus I now have a few old teammates that I’m super happy to have as my sport directors too, like Tejay van Garderen, and also Matti Breschel and Sebastian Langeveld who both shared my victory at the Tour of Flanders in 2019. I grew up with them as a rider and also as a person. We’ve shared so many moments, including disappointments because life is not only sunshine. There are also dark moments but together we get through it. We fight the problems together and face the difficulties. It was simple for me to decide to stay with this team,” Bettiol says.

The Italian has amassed an impressive results sheet over the years. This year he placed tenth at the Glasgow road cycling world championships after launching a daring solo attack. He began his 2023 season with a win at the Tour Down Under prologue and wore the race leader’s jersey through stage two. He soloed to a stage victory at the 2021 Giro d’Italia and claimed a stage at the Étoile de Bessèges the year before. His memorable 2019 win at the Tour of Flanders was a major milestone, but Bettiol says there is more he still wants to achieve with his teammates.

Looking to the future, Bettiol’s goals are less about specific race results and more about the overall success of the team as a whole.

“For me the most important thing is to continue to grow and to maximize the lessons I’ve learned over the years and to share this with the team and my teammates,” Bettiol says. “I’d also like to support the new guys that will join the team. We’ve signed some neo-pros so I would be really happy to talk with them, to teach them how this team functions, how we approach team goals, and to see them grow more and more over the coming years.”

Team CEO Jonathan Vaughters recognizes the vital role that Bettiol has played, and will continue to play, in the team.

“Alberto was in his early 20s when he first joined the team and he has grown into an invaluable rider and teammate,” Vaughters says. “Of course his wins have been impressive, but it’s the quick-thinking rider he’s evolved into, the versatile rider who can support a teammate or make a move himself – that’s what is so exciting to see. He has been on this team longer than any other rider at this point so he truly embodies our philosophy and values. He’s a pillar of this team.”