Trek-Segafredo has announced it has reached an agreement with 20-year-old Danish cyclist Mads Pedersen and 22-year-old Ruben Guerreiro of Portugal for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Trek-Segafredo recently launched a new youth development program, and the two signings emphasize the team's focus on its future.

Mads Pedersen arrives from German UCI Pro Continental team Stölting Service Group and is at his best on cobblestones and short, steep climbs. Pedersen, a silver medalist at the World Junior Road Race Championships and winner of Paris-Roubaix Juniors in 2013, blossomed this season with a stage win and the mountains classification at the Tour of Norway, victory in Kattekoers (Belgium), and an eighth overall in the Three Days of De Panne.

“This is really a dream come true,” said Pedersen. “I’ve been following Trek-Segafredo for years now. They are known to invest in the development of young riders and that’s why I’ve always hoped to be able to join this team one day.

“I am only 20 years old, but I have been racing in Belgium and France since I was a junior. Honestly, I can’t wait to race in the classics with the big guys. Of course, I will start out as a domestique, but long-term, I hope to get my chance sometimes. And when I do, I will take it!"

Ruben Guerreiro is the current U23 Portuguese national champion and joins Trek-Segafredo from the American U23 development team Axeon Hagens Berman managed by Axel Merckx. A strong climber, Guerreiro placed third in the under-23 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April.

Guerreiro said: “Trek-Segafredo is a solid World Tour team with a large experience, especially in developing young talents. I am really looking forward to working for such big riders as Bauke Mollema and Giacomo Nizzolo.

“If one day I could win one of the Ardennes Classics, and perform very well in the Tour de France, that would be truly awesome. But first things first: my aim for next year is to learn as much as I can. I rode with the team at some of their training rides during the December training camp in Spain, and I picked up a lot in such a short period of time. Now that I am really joining the team, I am excited to learn so much more!”

General manager Luca Guercilena is thrilled to have Pedersen and Guerreiro onboard for the 2017 and 2018 seasons: “Mads (Pedersen) and Ruben (Guerreiro) are both young and very talented, and with them we want to continue investing in the development of young riders. We strongly believe that Pedersen and Guerreiro will be valuable assets for the classics and stage races groups and that they still have a large margin for improvement. I am confident that they will be a solid option for the future.”