ProContinental rider steps up to the ProTour to replace departing riders
Just days after the loss of Luis Leon Sanchez to Rabobank, Caisse d’Epargne has announced the signing of Sergio Pardilla for 2011, when the team will become Team Movistar. The 26-year-old Spaniard has been with the British-registered Italian Professional Continental team Carmiooro-NGC for two years, before which he was at Continental team Burgos Monumental for three. He makes the step up to the ProTour team on a two-year contract.
In 2009 Pardilla won the Tour of Japan, but has enjoyed considerably more success in the current season. He began the year with victory in the first stage of the Ruta del Sol and finished third overall. Since then, he has won the Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, finished third in the Volta a Portugal and second in the Österreich-Rundfarht.
He currently sits in fifth place in the International Cycling Federation (UCI) Europe Tour – the second division equivalent of the ProTour – albeit a long way behind the leader, Italian champion Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri).