More transfer news for 2013 season
More details of the jerseys riders will be wearing next season continue to emerge, with some staying put and others moving to other outfits.
One of those in the first situation is the Danish rider Michael Mørkøv, who has agreed terms with the Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank team to add an additional three years to the four seasons he has already been there.
“Ever since Bjarne offered me a contract in 2009, he has always believed in me, and on this team I feel very well respected,” he said in announcing the extension. “I simply can’t imagine a better team than Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank for me to be part of in order to keep developing as a rider.”
Previously a rider known more for his track achievements, including world championship titles and six day successes, the 27 year old made a name for himself with a very prominent performance in the Tour de France.
He held the polka dot jersey from stage one to six, attacked repeatedly and was twice named most aggressive rider.
“In many ways Michael is every sport directors dream. He is a great rider to work with, and he is extremely professional and focused in every aspect of his career,” said team owner Bjarne Riis. “Step by step he is growing into to a great bike rider and now holds a vital position within the team as both a reliable domestique and a rider, who is not afraid to take matters in his own hands.
“I believe it’s only a matter of time before he gets a big result to his palmares, if he continues to work hard and develop.”
Meanwhile the 26 year old Robert Kiserlovski is heading to a new setup next season, moving on after two years with the Astana team. The Croatian is currently having his best season to date taking top five placings on stages of the Tour de France, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and Paris-Nice, netting top ten overall finishes in the latter and the Volta a Catalunya and fifth in Flèche Wallonne.
He will race for the next two seasons with the RadioShack Nissan team.
“I’m very proud to be joining this team. I really like the international look and feel of it and it will be good to race with so many people from different nationalities,” he said. “This is a good opportunity for me – really the next step in my career.
“I hope I will be able to race the Giro. Most riders prefer the Tour, but the Giro is my dream race.”
Johan Bruyneel will likely be the team’s general manager, providing he is not handed a ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency investigating his time with the US Postal Service team. “Robert is a rider with an attacking mind. We’ve been following him for some time now,” he said.
“He rode a nice Ardennes week, even though he was a novice in that kind of work. He was also very strong in the Tour, until he unfortunately crashed out of the race with a broken collarbone.
“His results and development are promising and he has the right attitude. I’m confident that he will be able to improve even more in our outfit. He has the quality needed, we’ll work on consistency now.”