U19
Matteo Jacopo Gualtieri makes his debut for grenke – Auto Eder
The three-time Italian champion will race alongside his teammates Lars Peers and Delano Heeren for the first time at this weekend’s Druivencross in Overijse.
There could hardly be a more challenging stage for a debut. The Druivencross in Overijse is one of the oldest races on the cyclo-cross calendar and is nicknamed the ‘mother of all cyclo-cross races’ in Belgium for good reason. Short, gruelling climbs, cobbled sections and technical changes of direction have made the course south-east of Brussels a true test of both strength and riding technique for decades.
It is precisely this combination that suits Gualtieri down to the ground. The Italian from Monza is at home in no fewer than three disciplines, and he underlined this impressively in 2026: he became Italian champion in the U17 road race, in cross-country (XCO) and in short track (XCC). He also secured the national title in the cyclo-cross team relay and finished third in the Italian U17 cyclo-cross championship. Previously, he rode for the Italian junior team Salus Seregno De Rosa.
For me, joining the team is a great opportunity to compete in the most important races on the junior calendar and to develop further both as a person and as a rider.
“For me, joining the team is a great opportunity to compete in the most important races on the junior calendar and to develop both as a person and as a rider,” says Gualtieri. “I’m looking forward to giving it my all in this jersey.” In Overijse, he’ll be lining up alongside Lars Peers (Belgium) and Delano Heeren (Netherlands) for the first time. For the young Italian, this marks the start of a cyclo-cross season in which he aims to measure himself against international competition and take the next step in his development.
Matteo feels at home on any surface – on the road, off-road and in cyclo-cross. This is particularly valuable at junior level, because each discipline develops different skills: technique, racing instinct and resilience.
Tim Meeusen, Director of Development at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, sees Gualtieri’s versatility as a major advantage: “Matteo feels at home on any surface – on the road, off-road and in cyclo-cross. This is particularly valuable at junior level, because each discipline develops different skills: technique, racing instinct and resilience. Overijse isn’t an easy place to start out, but it’s precisely in races like this that young riders grow. We’re delighted that he’s now part of our team and want to support him every step of the way.”
The Druivencross in Overijse kicks off the 2026/27 Superprestige season on Sunday 25 October.
