The Italian shot to fame in 2019, winning the rainbow jersey in the U23 World Championships road race in Yorkshire, England and has raced in the WorldTour for the last five seasons.

Hailing from Veneto, Italy but now residing in Monaco, the 25-year-old will strengthen the team in several areas and is looking to reignite his career in EF Education-EasyPost kit from the start of next year.

“I’ve seen this team race every year since I turned professional and they’ve always raced in the right way. They’re always attacking, never surrender and provide all their riders with opportunities. It always feels like there’s space for every rider on the team and that was very attractive to me. In modern-day cycling, it’s hard to find teams that will give you opportunities. EF Education-EasyPost is one of those teams,” an excited Samuele told us.

A former winner of the Veneto Classic one-day race, Battistella has raced in the WorldTour since 2020 and he felt ready for a new challenge. After talking to several riders already on the EF Education-EasyPost roster his mind was quickly set on joining the team.

“I talked to a few friends before joining. Everyone I spoke to said the same thing, that EF Education-EasyPost is an amazing team and is super professional. Once I heard that I talked to my agent because I wanted to sign for this team immediately,” he said.

“From the outside, you can see that all the riders on EF Education-EasyPost race together and you can see that their preparation is really amazing. They put so much detail into the small things, and moving to this team will help me take the next step in my career,” Samuele said before elaborating on his hopes and goals.

“The most important aim for me is to find myself next year. In the last few years, I lost myself a little bit and I want to get back to winning and racing at a high level. At the same time I want to improve and help the team and my new teammates as much as possible,” he said.

With one eye on races like the Ardennes Classics, and hopes of racing the Giro d’Italia next May, he is eager to get going in his new kit. Moreover, he’s been a huge fan of the team’s endeavors on social media, and the chance to enhance the message of our title sponsor was another major draw to the team.

“I’m not saying this just because I’m joining but to me, EF Education-EasyPost are one of the coolest-looking teams in the peloton,” Samuele said.

“Their social media, with the posts and the stories and reels, they’re always amazing. As sponsor, EF Education also has a great message for young people who are keen to learn languages, travel and see the world. Wearing that on my jersey is something I’ll be very proud to do.”

Battistella has racked up over a dozen top tens in the last two years, with high placings in races such as the Tour de Pologne, Itzulia Basque Country and Paris-Nice. The aim is to transfer those results into podiums and wins.

“Of course on the racing side, I think I can do well in the Ardennes Classics. On the short climbs that are under 20 minutes, I can do well, and then I have a good sprint from a small group. I’m not the best on the climbs or in the sprints but I can do both well and I’m looking forward to reaching the next step in my career,” the Italian added.

The team has seen something special in Battistella. His consistency to race at a high level and across varying terrains instantly stood out, while his energy and enthusiasm to be part of our squad created the belief that he would instantly fit in with the rest of the roster.

“Samuele is a rider we’ve been tracking for some time, and while he’s not scored a big win in the last few seasons, he’s certainly showed himself in a lot of races and been incredibly consistent,” EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters said.

“Our team is constantly trying to progress and develop and Samuele is a rider we think can complement our squad in several different areas. A strong all-rounder with a fast finish, we genuinely believe that he can kick on and find that winning groove with us next season. As Samuele also points out, we’re one of the coolest-looking teams in the peloton and we’re hoping his Italian style will rub off on the rest of the team, too. Seriously though, there’s still a lot of untapped potential within Samuele, and we want to harness that and develop it with him,” Vaughters added.

Welcome to the team, Samuele!

Author: Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson´s Cycling Substack brings together race analysis, transfer news exclusives, features, interviews and more from men's and women's professional cycling.