It is finally official! Fabio Aru will be riding for Qhubeka-Assos in the 2021 season where he will hope he can reinvigorate his career and start performing well at the Grand Tours.
Aru, who is leaving UAE Team Emirates, has been linked to numerous teams this year with rumours going around that he could have signed for Alpecin-Fenix and ride cyclocross, or even step down to Vini Zabù-Brado-KTM.
But no, it is the rebuilding project that is currently going on at Qhubeka-Assos that managed to get the former Italian champion's signature on the contract.
>>> Here are eight WorldTour riders forced to step down a level in 2021 during tough contract year
Aru, who is now 30, said: "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Team Qhubeka-Assos next season and I'm very grateful to Douglas Ryder who welcomed me to his team,
"When the possibility to sign first came about, and then after speaking with Douglas and other team members, I immediately felt that this was an environment that I wanted to be a part of.
"In the last few years I haven’t experienced all of the success that I’d hoped for and so I will use this new step to draw from some of the simple factors that saw me achieve those results, as I know that I’m capable again of similar success."
Aru's year ended for UAE Team Emirates on stage nine of the Tour de France where he was dropped on a relatively flat stage and left behind with only the broom waggon to keep him company.
With former UAE boss, Giuseppe Saronni saying that Aru has disappointed the team and that he shouldn't even have been at the race in the first place.
Team principal, Douglas Ryder had this to say about the signing: "I am excited to have Fabio join our team; to have a rider who has won a Grand Tour in the Vuelta, been 5th in the Tour de France and twice on the podium of the Giro adds a lot to our teams development as we continue to strive to win on the world’s biggest stage; to inspire hope and create opportunity.
"Fabio’s passion and love for cycling can be seen in the way he races and I think in our unique team we will see him rise again, as I am sure we will get the best out of each other."
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Pfeiffer Georgi wins Brugge-De Panne solo after aggressive race splits in crosswinds
Brit claims her first WorldTour win by out-foxing some of the fastest riders in the world
-
Kaden Groves sprints to victory on stage four of the Volta a Catalunya
Australian takes first win for new Alpecin-Deceuninck team ahead of Bryan Coquard
-
Fabio Aru announces his retirement
The Grand Tour winner will close out his career at the end of the Vuelta a España
-
'Cycling has been my life for 20 years': Enrico Gasparrotto calls time on his career at 38
Enrico Gasparotto has announced his retirement from professional cycling at the age of 38 after a very successful career spanning 16 years for eight teams, winning various races
-
NTT Pro Cycling announce new headline sponsors
NTT Pro Cycling has announced its new headline sponsors, bringing an end to the uncertainty around their future.
-
NTT Pro Cycling left searching for new sponsor as NTT pulls out
NTT Pro Cycling is facing an uncertain future as headline sponsor NTT has pulled out of the team.
-
Giacomo Nizzolo wins European Championships road race in dramatic sprint finish
Nizzolo beat Arnaud Démare and Pascal Ackermann to become the 2020 European champion
-
Victor Campenaerts is sleeping at 4,700m in altitude tent ‘to feel like a rider who took EPO’
Time trial star Victor Campenaerts has revealed he is sleeping at 4,700 metres in an altitude tent, so he can “feel like a rider who took EPO.”
-
‘I’m still coming to terms with what happened’: Nic Dlamini responds after having his arm broken by park rangers
Nic Dlamini says he’s still “coming to terms with what happened” after he was injured by park rangers during an altercation over Christmas.
-
Dimension Data reveal new kit for 2020 as team is rebranded as NTT Pro Cycling
Dimension Data have revealed their new colours for 2020 as the team is rebranded as NTT Pro Cycling.
