Nicolas Roche will have a new team mate next year in the shape of Romain Bardet as the two-time Tour de France podium finisher has signed for Team Sunweb.
Bardet, still aged just 29 years, has signed a new deal for two years in what will be a big change for him as he has been with AG2R-La Mondiale since he turned pro.
He joined the French WorldTour outfit aged 21 years back in 2012 and was a team mate of Roche's on that team during his first season there, which coincided with the last of Roche's four years there.
Team Sunweb said Bardet would tackle a number of classics next year and choose a Grand Tour to focus on. Bardet has been 2nd and 3rd in the Tour and finished 6th twice.
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He won the mountains classification at the Tour last year and was 2nd in the Worlds, 2nd in Strade Bianche and 3rd in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2018. He has also been 4th at Il Lombardia.
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Bardet said he was very happy to be signing for Team Sunweb, saying it was a progressive team and was a member of the Movement for Credible Cycling.
“At Team Sunweb I have the opportunity to start with no specific expectations or a specific race to target,” he said.
“Instead we will focus first on the basics and the fundamentals, working hard and with dedication to improve on all different areas as an athlete – after this we will look to race schedules and goals.
“This opportunity comes at the right moment in my career and I am very motivated to start working with the team and its group of very promising riders.”
He added he was very thankful to AG2R-La Mondiale “who helped me to develop until now, my time with them will always have a special place in my memories”.
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