Team Sky confirm Mikel Landa signing
Mikel Landa becomes Team Sky's sixth signing for the 2016 season, with the Spaniard joining from Astana after an impressive season
The signings just keep on coming for Team Sky, with Astana’s Mikel Landa becoming the fifth rider to join the British team in the last week and sixth in total.
The Spaniard joins Sky having impressed at this year’s Giro d’Italia – finishing third on the podium and winning two mountain stages in the process.
He then went on to win the Queen stage at the Vuelta a España in Andorra and helped teammate Fabio Aru to seal the overall victory.
“Team Sky is one of the best teams in the world and this is a great opportunity for me,” Landa said on the Team Sky website.
“The team has an excellent reputation for being professional and methodical, and I know I can continue to develop and improve with their guidance.”
With Richie Porte leaving Sky for BMC at the end of the year it is thought that Landa will be given the opportunity to lead the team at the Giro d’Italia, where he will likely come up against former teammate Aru.
Team principal Sir Dave Brailsford added: “Mikel is a rider we have followed closely for the last four or five years. He has always demonstrated a big talent and we have always recognised that.
“He really stepped up at the Giro d’Italia this year, but we had already identified him as a target.
“He has shown he is one of the best climbers in the world, and he is only 25 years old. We are very excited at the opportunity of developing this young rider over the coming years.”
Landa joins Alex Peters, Gianni Moscon, Michal Golas, Danny van Poppel and Benat Intxausti in signing for Sky for the 2016 season.