Cycling transfers: Miguel Angel Lopez will start for the Spanish team Movistar in the future. The Colombian leaves the Astana team after several successful years.
Movistar takes another step forward
It hasn't been an easy year for Spanish side Movistar. With only 2 wins of the season, they occupy the last place of all WorldTour teams. Old champion Alejandro Valverde was unable to contribute a win of the season. The Spanish hope in the person of Enric Mas also remained pale. But now you can record a great success on the transfer market. With Miguel Angel Lopez, one of the strongest climbers in the peloton is landed. The Colombian finished third at the 2018 Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. He finished the Tour de France in 6th place this season. He also won the difficult climb up to Méribel. Together with Enric Mas, he could form a strong dual leadership and give the Movistar team new impetus.
Miguel Angel Lopez:
"I am so happy that I will be part of one of the most important teams in cycling in the future."
All cycling transfers at a glance
In addition to Miguel Angel Lopez from Astana to Movistar, there were other interesting cycling transfers to report this week. The Australian Simon Clarke (EF) and the Swiss Kilian Frankiny (Groupama – FDJ) will join the Qhubeka – Assos team. The African team, which was last known as NTT, will start under this name in the 2021 season. However, there is still a lot to be done for this. Because there are currently only 10 drivers in the squad for next year. But these include high-class professionals, such as the hour record holder Victor Campenaerts, European champion Giacomo Nizzolo, classification driver Domenico Pozzovivo and the German sprinter Max Walscheid.
AG2R – Citroën
Additions: Greg van Avermaet (CCC), Bob Jungels (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie), Michael Schär (CCC), Marc Sarreau (Groupama - FDJ), Damien Touze (Cofidis), Gijs van Hoecke (CCC ), Ben O'Connor (NTT), Stan Dewulf (Lotto – Soudal), Anthony Jullien (AG2R La Mondiale), Nicolas Prodhomme (Cofidis)
Departures: Romain Bardet (Sunweb), Alexis Vuillermoz (Total Direct Energie), Alexandre Geniez (Total Direct Energie), Pierre Latour (Total Direct Energie), Silvan Dillier (Alpecin – Fenix), Quentin Jauregui (B&B Hotels – Vital Concept), Harry Tanfield (Ribble Weldtite), Axel Domont (Retired), Clement Chevrier (Retired)
Astana-Premier Tech
Additions: Yevgeniy Fedorov (Vino - Astana Motors), Gleb Brussenskiy (Vino - Astana Motors), Matteo Sobrero (NTT), Javier Romo (?), Ben Perry (Israel Cycling Academy), Andrea Piccolo (Colpack - Ballan), Stefan de Bod ( NTT), Samuele Battistella (NTT)
Departures: Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar)
Bahrain-McLaren
Additions: Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott)
Departures: Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani – CSF – Faizanè), Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar)
Bora-hansgrohe
Additions: Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb), Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation), Frederik Wandahl (ColoQuick), Jordi Meeus (SEG), Giovanni Aleotti (Friuli ASD), Matthew Walls (?), Ben Zwiehoff (?)
Departures: Rafal Majka (UAE), Jempy Drucker (Cofidis), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Oscar Gatto (end of career)
Circus—Wanty Gobert
Additions: Rein Taaramäe (Total Direct Energie), Baptiste Planckaert (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Louis Meintjes (NTT), Jan Hirt (CCC), Lorenzo Rota (Vini Zabù – KTM), Jonas Koch (CCC), Georg Zimmermann (CCC)
Departures: Timothy Dupont (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin – Fenix), Yoann Offredo (end of career), Fabien Doubey (Total Direct Energie)
Cofidis
Additions: Jempy Drucker (Bora - hansgrohe), Simon Geschke (CCC), Jelle Wallays (Lotto - Soudal), Ruben Fernandez (Euskaltel - Euskadi), Tom Bohli (UAE), Szymon Sajnok (CCC), Remy Rochas (Nippo Delko One Provence) , Andre Carvalho (Hagen Berman Axeon), Thomas Champion (?)
Departures: Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels - Vital Concept), Luis Angel Mate (Euskaltel - Euskadi), Damien Touze (AG2R - Citroën), Dimitri Claeys (Qhubeka - Assos)
Deceuninck—Quick Step
Additions: Josef Cerny (CCC)
Departures: Bob Jungels (AG2R – Citroën)
EF
Additions: Michael Valgren (NTT), Hideto Nakane (Nippo Delko One Provence), Will Barta (CCC)
Departures: Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation), Tanel Kangert (Mitchelton - Scott), Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Daniel Martinez (Ineos), Kristoffer Halvorsen (Uno-X), Luis Villalobos (?), Simon Clarke (Qhubeka – Assos)
Groupama - FDJ
Additions: Attila Valter (CCC), Matteo Badilatti (Israel Start-Up Nation), Clement Davy (Equipe continentale Groupama – FDJ), Lars van den Berg (Equipe continentale Groupama – FDJ)
Departures: Marc Sarreau (AG2R - Citroën), Kilian Frankiny (Qhubeka - Assos)
Israel Start Up Nation
Additions: Chris Froome (Ineos), Sep Vanmarcke (EF), Daryl Impey (Mitchelton - Scott), Michael Woods (EF), Alessandro De Marchi (CCC), Patrick Bevin (CCC), Carl Fredrik Hagen (Lotto - Soudal), Sebastian Berwick (St George), Taj Jones (Israel Cycling Academy)
Departures: Nils Politt (Bora – hansgrohe), Matteo Badilatti (Groupama – FDJ), Rory Sutherland (end of career), Travis McCabe (end of career)
Lotto – Soudal
Additions: Andreas Kron (Riwal Securitas), Xandres Vervloesem (Lotto - Soudal U23), Kamil Malecki (CCC), Sebastien Grignard (Lotto - Soudal U23), Harry Sweeny (Lotto - Soudal U23), Maxim van Gils (Lotto - Soudal U23), Viktor Verschaeve (Lotto - Soudal U23), Sylvain Moniquet (Equipe continentale Groupama - FDJ), Filippo Conca (Biesse Aredi)
Departures: Nikolas Maes (end of career), Jelle Wallays (Cofidis), Adam Hansen (end of career), Carl Fredrik Hagen (Israel Start-Up Nation), Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën), Remy Mertz (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles)
Mitchelton-Scott
Additions: Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Tanel Kangert (EF), Amund Grondahl Jansen (Jumbo – Visma), Kevin Colleoni (Biesse Aredi)
Departures: Michael Albasini (Retired), Adam Yates (Ineos), Daryl Impey (Israel Start-Up Nation), Jack Haig (Bahrain - McLaren), Edoardo Affini (Jumbo - Visma)
Movistar
Additions: Gregor Mühlberger (Bora - hansgrohe), Ivan Garcia Cortina (Bahrain - McLaren), Gonzalo Serrano (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Abner Gonzalez (?), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana)
Departures: Jürgen Roelandts (end of career), Carlos Betancur (?), Eduardo Sepulveda (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec)
Ineos
Additions: Richie Porte (Trek - Segafredo), Adam Yates (Mitchelton - Scott), Daniel Martinez (EF), Laurens De Plus (Jumbo - Visma), Thomas Pidcock (?)
Departures: Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation), Vasil Kiryienka (Retired), Ian Stannard (Retired), Chris Lawless (Total Direct Energie)
Jumbo–Visma
Additions: Sam Oomen (Sunweb), Nathan van Hooydonck (CCC), Edoardo Affini (Mitchelton - Scott), Olav Kooij (Jumbi - Visma Development Team), David Dekker (SEG), Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo - Visma Development Team)
Departures: Tom Leezer (End of Career), Amund Grondahl Jansen (Mitchelton – Scott), Laurens De Plus (Ineos), Taco van der Hoorn (Beat)
Qhubeka-Assos
Additions: Simon Clarke (EF), Kilian Frankiny (Groupama – FDJ), Dimitri Claeys (Cofidis)
Departures: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Total Direct Energie), Roman Kreuziger (Gazprom - RusVelo), Michael Valgren (EF), Louis Meintjes (Circus - Wanty Gobert), Ryan Gibbons (UAE), Ben King (Rally), Ben O'Connor (AG2R – Citroën), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek – Segafredo), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X), Matteo Sobrero (Astana), Stefan de Bod (Astana), Samuele Battistella (Astana)
Sunweb
Additions: Romain Bardet (AG2R), Marco Brenner (?), Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X), Niklas Märkl (Sunweb Development Team), Romain Combaud (Nippo Delko One Provence), Kevin Vermaerke (Hagen Berman Axeon), Henri Vandenabeele (Sunweb Development Team)
Departures: Michael Matthews (Mitchelton - Scott), Wilco Kelderman (Bora - hansgrohe), Sam Oomen (Jumbo - Visma)
Trek-Segafredo
Additions: Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (NTT), Antonio Tiberi (Colpack Ballan), Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Leopard), Jakob Egholm (Hagen Berman Axeon)
Departures: Richie Porte (Ineos)
UAE Team Emirates
Additions: Rafal Majka (Bora – hansgrohe), Matteo Trentin (CCC), Ryan Gibbons (NTT), Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan)
Departures: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin - Fenix), Tom Bohli (Cofidis), Edward Ravasi (Eolo - Kometa)