Having been informed that he would not have his contract at Katusha renewed in the summer, former Fleche Wallonne winner Dani Moreno has impressed enough to secure a move to Movistar for 2016.
Aged 34, and with his results declining since his standout 2013 season, Moreno put in some impressive performances at the Vuelta a España and late-season classics to prove his worth for another two season, with his new contract running until the end of 2017.
Fourth place at the Clasica San Sebastian in August was followed by a third-place finish at the Vuelta a Burgos and then by five top-10 finishes at the Vuelta a España on his way to a ninth-place finish overall.
He wasn’t finished there, though, claiming ninth in Milano-Torino and second at the Giro di Lombardia.
Moreno adds some much-needed depth to Movistar’s squad for the Ardennes Classics, which relies almost solely on Alejandro Valverde, who won two of the races this year.
Movistar may have only made four signings for 2016, but they all look to be adding depth and experience – Carlos Betancur joins having been released from his Ag2r La Mondiale contract, while Nelson Oliveira comes across from Lampre-Merida.
Moreno and young Spaniard Jorge Arcas could be the final riders to join the team, which topped the WorldTour rankings this season and won the team classification at both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España this season.
