Rogers confirms Team Sky move for 2011-12

Michael Rogers, Tour de Romandie 2010, stage 4

Australian Michael Rogers has announced that he is joining British-based Team Sky for next season on a two-year deal.

The former HTC-Columbia rider will bolster the team's line-up for 2011, and joins Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Greg Henderson on the team.

Rogers will focus on shorter stage races, particularly those that feature an individual time trial. This season he won the Tour of California and Tour of Andalusia.

"Week-long stage races are going to be my main priority at the start of the year but that's not to say I won't be riding Grand Tours anymore," Rogers said.

"I'm in the peak years of my career and I'd like to think if things go well I could still have something to offer in those races as well. We'll just have to see."

Rogers' move to Sky was strongly rumoured in mid-September when he announced that he would be leaving HTC-Columbia at the close of the 2010 season. Until now, both Sky and Rogers have denied - or failed to comment on - the move.

Just when it seemed that Rogers' move to Sky was a done deal earlier this month, Sky Team Principal David Brailsford issued a statement to quash the rumours, saying that there was no Rogers deal, and that he had been misquoted in the press.

The Australian is the sixth confirmed new signing for Sky for 2011, and he joins climbers Rigoberto Uran and Xabier Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne) along with Italian Davide Appollonio, and Britons Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) and Alex Dowsett (Trek-LiveStrong).

Rogers won the time trial World Championships title for three consecutive years between 2003-2005. 

Related links

Rogers signs for Team Sky

Hunt signs for Team Sky along with Appollonio

Team Sky signs Dowsett, Uran and Zandio

Rogers linked to Sky for 2011

Subscribe to Cycling Weekly: The perfect Christmas gift>> (opens in new tab)

Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.