Tony Martin confirmed to switch to LottoNL-Jumbo from Katusha-Alpecin
German signs two-year deals with Dutch squad
Tony Martin will leave Katusha-Alpecin at the end of 2018 to join LottoNL-Jumbo, the Dutch team have confirmed.
The 33-year-old German leaves Katusha after two years in which he struggled to replicate the form he showed earlier in his career, particularly with Omega-Pharma/Etixx-Quick-Step and HTC-Highroad.
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A four-time world time trial champion, Martin left Quick-Step at the end of 2016 but enjoyed the most prolific years of his career their, taking four of his five Tour de France stage wins with the Belgian team.
He will now join LottoNL-Jumbo where he says he hopes to work with the team to find success again in time trials. LottoNL have had success in time trials in recent years through the likes of Jos van Emden and their general classification leader Primož Roglič, but are aiming to step up again by helping Martin back to form.
“I’m looking forward to join Team LottoNL-Jumbo. I share their philosophy”, Martin said on the announcement.
“The riders are a unity and the staff work on every detail to support them. Especially their approach of time trials is appealing to me. It’s known that the team put a lot of efforts in that direction. My ambition is to become a prominent team player by supporting the leaders and being successful in the time trials.”
“Tony was the missing link,” added team manager Richard Plugge.
“He brings in a boatload of experience and he’s a professional in every way. He can be of great value in the support of our leaders. His signing is a confirmation of the development we’ve been through in recent years”
Martin began his professional career in 2006 and has taken 65 professional victories in that time, including five Tour stages and the overall classification at Paris-Nice.