Bob Jungels is leaving Deceuninck - Quick-Step to join AG2R
The Monument winner will be joining Greg Van Avermaet at the French squad
Bob Jungels is leaving Deceuninck - Quick-Step after five years to join AG2R La Mondiale.
The 27-year-old Monument winner will be joining Greg Van Avermaet at the French WorldTour squad, who are boosting their Classics line-up for 2021.
But Jungels also has ambitions for Grand Tours, having twice finished in the top-10 in the Giro d’Italia and taking 11th in the 2018 Tour de France.
AG2R, which will be known as AG2R-Citroën Team from next year, are making some big name signings for the future as their current star riders will be leaving the team at the end of the season.
Luxembourger Jungels said: “With riders like Oliver Naesen and Greg Van Avermaet, the team will be very ambitious in the Classics, and it’s very motivating to be part of this group. And of course, we will still be looking at the stage races, since I know that this team has had a strong history in this area. I definitely want to achieve great things, initially in the one week races, but then also in the Grand Tours, even if I am already well versed in what it takes to perform over three weeks.”
Jungels will be leaving Deceuninck having joined the team back in 2016 and picking up his biggest victories while riding for Patrick Lefevere's outfit.
After taking 6th place in the 2016 Giro d’Italia, Jungels won his first Grand Tour stage the following year at the Giro, where he finished eighth overall.
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He has since gone on to take the 2018 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, his first Monument victory, and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne last season.
AG2R are reshaping their team for 2021, signing Jungels on a two-year deal while Greg Van Avermaet will also be joining from CCC Team. The pair will joining the team’s current Classics leader Oliver Naesen
French WorldTour squad AG2R is also undergoing a shake-up in its Grand Tour leadership, with Romain Bardet leaving the team for Sunweb after nine years.
>>> Remco Evenepoel will be off the bike for two months after Il Lombardia crash
Pierre Latour, another French rider tipped as a potential Tour de France winner in future, is leaving AG2R for Total Direct Energie next season.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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