Shane Archbold returns to Bora-Hansgrohe after crash forced him out of the WorldTour

Shane Archbold will return to Bora-Hansgrohe, three years after he was forced out of the WorldTour by a crash.

The New Zealander stuck with Bora when the team moved up from the Professional Continental ranks in 2017, but left after just one season at the top level.

A serious crash in the 2016 Tour de France left Archbold with health problems that mean he was unable to continue riding at WorldTour level.

>>> British riders ‘proud’ of Peter Kennaugh’s decision to step away from cycling indefinitely

Now after stints with Aqua Blue Sport and the Continental EvoPro Racing outfit, the 30-year-old will rejoin his old team.

Bora recently lost British rider Peter Kennaugh, who announced he would be taking an indefinite break from professional cycling due to on-going mental health problems.

Team manager Ralph Denk said: “After his serious crash at the 2016 Tour de France, he experienced health problems, which rendered him unable to continue competing on the WorldTour.

“It was for that reason that we did not extend his contract.

“However, I assured him that if there was ever a chance for him to return to the team, then the door would remain open.

“Now he is fit again, motivated, and ready to grasp this new challenge with both hands, and it is an opportunity that we are very excited to be able to give him.”

While riding for Bora-Argon 18 in the 2016 Tour, Archbold crashed at 80km/h on stage 17, breaking his pelvis in the fall.

He returned to competition later that season but struggled to find form, and raced only 16 days in 2017, the year Bora moved up to the WorldTour.

After leaving the team, he switched to the ill-fated Aqua Blue Sport Pro Continental team which collapsed suddenly part way through the 2018 season.

Archbold has spent the start of 2019 with the Irish Continental outfit EvoPro Racing.

Bora invited Archbold, a former lead-out man to the team’s Irish sprint star Sam Bennett, to bolster the support for their fast finishers.

>>> Geraint Thomas and Michał Kwiatkowski cleared to continue after Tour of the Basque Country crash

Denk added: “With Peter Sagan, Sam Bennett and Pascal Ackermann we have three fast men, however we felt that we needed to strengthen the team’s lead-out train and capacity to optimally prepare for fast finishes.”

Archbold said: “This is incredible.

“I am so thankful to have received this great opportunity.

“The WorldTour will definitely be a challenge, but for me there is no better team with which to take on this challenge than Bora-Hansgrohe.

“We have a common history and I also have many friends within the team.

“I just hope to be ready to show everyone that I deserve this opportunity.