The Tinkoff-Saxo team has announced the signing of Russian road race champion Yuri Trofimov as it continues to build its squad for 2016.
Tinkoff-Saxo will have Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan as team leaders next season but is looking to bolster the number of Russian riders in the squad after becoming a Russian-registered squad in 2015. Trofimov is Tinkoff-Saxo’s first new signing for 2016 but the team is set to make more announcements in the days to come. British sprinter Adam Blythe and Italy's Filippo Pozzato have been linked with moves to Tinkoff-Saxo to help Sagan in the sprints and cobbled Classics.
The 31 year-old Trofimov has been with the Katusha team since 2011 and was team leader in the Giro d'Italia, finishing tenth overall despite being ill during the final stages of the race. He then won the Russian road race title in June. In 2014 he won a stage at the Criterium du Dauphine.
"I leave one Russian team for another one and I will still have Russian riders by my side. For me that is an important aspect,” Trofimov said in a statement from Tinkoff-Saxo after the team announced his arrival via social media.
ADVERTISEMENT
"For me it was a hard decision since a new team brings new opportunities but also means a new challenge. I join the team which together with its leader Alberto Contador is going to fight for victory at the Tour de France. I am also going to have opportunities for myself to win race.”
Russian team owner Oleg Tinkov said he was delighted to have the current Russian national champion in his squad for 2016.
"This is my sixth season as team owner and for the very first time I will have a Russian champion in the team. In addition, it is especially important that Yuri is very keen on riding for our team, in order to help our leader Alberto Contador but also aim at scoring his own victories."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/1Nl8Fr3
No comments:
Post a Comment