UAE Team Emirates make big moves to bolster squad, signing Davide Formolo and rising stars for 2020

UAE Team Emirates are making moves this transfer window, signing five new riders for 2020 including Italian champion Davide Formolo and young rising stars.

The WorldTour team is adding to its pool of talent for sprints and the general classification, with Formolo making the move from Bora-Hansgrohe on a two-year contract.

UAE have also signed Argentinian champion and lead-out veteran Maximiliano Richeze from Deceuninck – Quick-Step to be the last man for sprinter Fernando Gaviria.

>>> Seven unforgettable racing moments of the 2019 season so far 

On the signing of 26-year-old Formolo, UAE general manager Joxean Matxin said: “Formolo will form an integral role in the fabric of our team.

“Davide has great qualities and great potential. He has already achieved some good results in the Classics and in the general classification of stage races and we are confident that he can reach even greater heights in the years to come. He will have the full support of the team for his objectives in the Ardennes Classics and beyond.”

Formolo, a Giro d’Italia stage winner and top-10 finisher in the Vuelta a España, is leaving German team Bora after a two year spell.

This year, Formolo finished second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and won his first national title.

He said: “I spent two wonderful years with my current team, but I felt my goals and the plan laid out by UAE Team Emirates fitted together perfectly, so I decided to join this exciting project.

“The next few years I want to mainly focus on hilly one-day Classics.”

>>> Cycling transfers 2020: All the ins and outs from the WorldTour 

Formolo will race alongside his compatriot and general classification rider Fabio Aru, as well as Ireland’s Dan Martin who also thrives in the hilly Classics.

On Richeze's signing, Matxin said: "Over the years, Richeze has become increasingly important for the teams where he rides, he possesses the perfect mix of skill and strength on the bike with experience and intelligence.

"I have no doubts when I say that he is the best lead-out man in the world, and will slot into our sprint train as the last man for Gaviria, as the pair are well used to working together already [at Quick-Step]."

UAE have also signed young American prospect Brandon McNulty and the under-23 world time trial champion Mikkel Bjerg.

Italian Alessandro Covi will also join the team from continental outfit Colpack while the winner of the 2019 Baby Giro, Andres Ardila, will also make the step up to the WorldTour.