Cycling news - Christophe Laporte, Tosh van der Sande join Jumbo-Visma as Movistar, UAE announce extensions

The rest day of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana has seen several teams announce new deals for existing riders or new signings for the 2022 season. Jumbo-Visma have snapped up experienced duo Christophe Laporte and Tosh Van der Sande to support Primoz Roglic and Wout van Aert while Movistar and UAE Team Emirates have announced extensions.

Christophe Laporte and Tosh Van der Sande have signed for Team Jumbo-Visma for the next two seasons.

Laporte, 28, will join from Cofidis while Van der Sande, 30, will arrive from Lotto–Soudal.

“I was flattered by the interest,” said Van der Sande.

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“I rode for Lotto for 10 years, so it will be a serious change. If a team like Team Jumbo-Visma contacts you, you should not hesitate for long. It is the best team, or one of the best teams in the world. The professionalism and the staff really appeal to me. I am very happy to join this team and I am really looking forward to it."

Laporte added: “It is one of the best teams in the world and I am confident that I can grow to my best level in this team.”

The news came on the rest day of La Vuelta, with Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic leading the race by 28 seconds from Enric Mas.

Movistar have confirmed that six riders have signed new deals until the end of 2023.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

They are German Juri Hollmann, Colombian Einer Rubio, Portuguese Nelson Oliveira and Spaniards Antonio Pedrero, Jorge Arcas and Carlos Verona.

UAE Team Emirates have also announced several extensions.

Fernando Gaviria will continue for 2022 while former world champion Rui Costa, who was instrumental in the Tour de France victory of Tadej Pogacar this year, will also stay for next season.

Alessandro Covi has committed to the team until 2024 and Jan Polanc has signed for the 2022 season.

Team manager Joxean Matxin Fernandez said: “We all know that Gaviria is a world class sprinter and on his day he can beat anybody.

“What we want to see now and what we are hoping, is to have that consistency and dependability that we know he can deliver. We are very happy to see him continue with us in the team and we want to see the best version of him going forward next year.

“In the case of Rui Costa we’ve seen him take on a new challenge in his long and successful career. Rui is a former World Champion and has enjoyed many great results so to see him convert that talent and expertise to help the team and a leader like Tadej, as we saw in the Tour where he filled an important role, we know we can rely on him for that.

“Covi is part of the new generation of riders who love to attack and really animate a race. We believe he is a rider who can win many races and in the next years and are convinced he will show that.”

Bora–Hansgrohe have signed Jonas Koch on a two-year deal while Markus Hoelgaard has joined Trek-Segafredo.

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