Peák daring to dream for debut season with Mitchelton-SCOTT

2018 Hungarian road race and time trial champion Barnabás Peák is daring to dream in 2020, joining Mitchelton-SCOTT as its first signing for next season with ultimate ambitions of a home Grand Tour debut.

The 20-year-old, who currently rides for SEG Racing Academy, will get his first taste of the Australian squad in a stagiaire role later in the season before officially starting his neo-pro contract in January next year.

For Peák, learning and early team contributions are on the cards for his first season but the ultimate dream would be to line up at the 2020 Giro d’Italia which will start in his home nation of Hungary.

“The biggest dream for next year is pretty obvious – to start the Giro in Hungary in national colours, especially in the time trial,” Peák admitted.

“I am quite ambitious. I would like to get my first pro win next year for the team, it would be really nice to be successful, but also it will be about learning how the pro races work and how my body can react to the higher loads of training and racing.”

After a period as a trainee with Quickstep in 2018, Peak will have the same opportunity with Mitchelton-SCOTT in 2019, giving his integration with the team a good head start.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to stagiaire,”he said. “It’s always better to be together with teammates a little bit.”

“Last year I did five or six races with Quickstep and I already had some nice moments and built some friendships, and I expect the same with Mitchelton-SCOTT, to get to know the guys and start integrating into the team.”

“I know quite a lot about the team, I have been watching the Backstage Pass videos since 2014, I’m looking forward to having Matt White and Mathew Hayman as sport directors, so it’s exciting to join them.”

The current dual national champion, Peák has also claimed a stage at the Tour of Normandie this year, as well as a second place on stage eight of the recent ‘Baby Giro’.

Head sport director Matt White said the team was looking forward to developing another young talent.

“Barnabás is an all-rounder,” White explained. “He is a solid rider who can sprint, TT and knows his way around the bunch. We see him being part of our emerging Classics group and working in with our experienced men who support our leaders on the flat days.”

“He is coming in from one of the best development teams in the world, SEG Racing Academy. We know how they work, we know how well they develop riders and we’re excited to have him onboard.

“We always need to be thinking about the future, where our next wave of riders is coming from, and we’ve got a good track record of developing young talents.

“Nothing will change with Barnabás, and our challenge is to get the best out of him by supporting and nurturing him through his integration into the WorldTour."

Barnabás Peák

Nationality: Hungary

Date of birth: 29 November 1998 (20)

Turns Pro: 2020

- 2018 1st National Championships Hungary - Road Race

- 2018 1st National Championships Hungary - Time Trial

- 2019 1st Tour of Normandie - Stage 5

Photo courtesy of Elisa Haumesser.