One Pro Cycling set to sign Steele von Hoff

JLT-Condor's Richard Handley also expected to join the British squad for 2016.

Steele Von Hoff wins CiCLE Classic 2015

(Image credit: Andy Jones)

One Pro Cycling will add Australian sprinter Steele von Hoff and Briton Richard Handley to their 2016 line-up, Cycling Weekly understands.

Von Hoff will make the switch from NFTO, for whom he signed after his contract with WorldTour outfit Garmin-Sharp expired at the end of 2014.

The Australian Circuit Race Champion has enjoyed a successful 2015 season, winning a stage of the Tour Down Under for a composite national team, this year's Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic ahead of One's sprinter Chris Opie as well the individual glory at the Canary Wharf Tour Series round.

However, the 27-year-old was surprisingly left out of NFTO's line-up for this week's Tour of Britain, although it's not clear whether or not his impending transfer was behind that decision.

Watch former England cricketer Matt Prior talk about One Pro Cycling

Handley, 25, will become the second rider after Kristian House to switch to One in 2016 from JLT-Condor. He placed 10th in this year's Tour de Yorkshire, and has spent four seasons with John Herety's team.

One have applied to become a UCI ProContinental team next season: if successful, the governing body's rules requires second division teams to have a minimum of 14 riders on their roster.

The team previously confirmed the signings of House and Polish rider Karol Domagalski from Raleigh-GAC on Friday.

NFTO are also believed to have applied for ProConti status, which makes Von Hoff's move all the more surprising.

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Nick Bull is an NCTJ qualified journalist who has written for a range of titles, as well as being a freelance writer at Beat Media Group, which provides reports for the PA Media wire which is circulated to the likes of the BBC and Eurosport. His work at Cycling Weekly predominantly dealt with professional cycling, and he now holds a role as PR & Digital Manager at SweetSpot Group, which organises the Tour of Britain.