Siutsou joins Sky for 2012

Belarusian Kanstantsin Siutsou is the latest rider to be added to Team Sky's roster for 2012. Siutsou joins the British-based team from HTC-Highroad.

News of Siutsou's signing comes hot on the heels of Sky's announcement that it signed his HTC-Highroad team-mate Danny Pate on Wednesday.

"I am very happy to be joining Team Sky and look forward to riding with my new teammates," said Siutsou in a statement issued by the team on Thursday.

"The team is a strong one and I know a lot of the guys here already. I have ridden in the past with Thomas Löfkvist, Michael Barry, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Michael Rogers and Morris Possoni, and they have all told me how good it is here in terms of the organisation and the way they look after you."

Siutsou first came to prominence by winning the under-23 world road race title in 2004. He went on to win the Tour of Georgia overall in 2008, followed by a stage win during the 2009 Giro d'Italia.

This season, Siutsou put in another strong performance at the Giro d'Italia finishing tenth overall.

Sky team principal David Brailsford said: "In Kanstantsin we have signed a versatile and strong rider who will be a fantastic addition to our team. He showed with his top-10 finish in arguably the hardest ever Giro d'Italia last May what an exciting talent he is."

"Kanstantsin is a rider who is also more than happy to dig deep in support of team mates when he is not going for the race win himself," Brailsford added, perhaps indicating a role for the 29-year-old in supporting either Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome in aiming for future Grand Tour wins.

Related links

Sky signs Pate for 2012

Giro 2009: Siutsou makes it two in a row for Columbia-Highroad