Alejandro Valverde will ride for Team Katusha in the 2012 season
Most of the riders have already joined their new teams for the coming season, as the new year approaches. The most recent transfer news has been announced by the Spanish Team, Movistar, as the team signed Alejandro Valverde for its 2012 squad.
The team also stated that a formal ceremony will be held in the coming season. The function will feature, “Alejandro Valverde's official presentation as a new Movistar Team rider, wearing the jersey the team will wear during the 2012 season”.
Valverde started his professional career with Team Kelme-Costa Blanca in 2002 and remained with the team for two years. He moved to the Spanish side, Illes Balears-Banesto, in 2005 and spent six years with the squad.
It was believed that the cyclist will join Team Movistar for the coming season as he was seen training in the team’s camp earlier this year.
He said, "To be able to spend these days with them is important to maintain the impression of being part of a group. The feeling of belonging is very important to me. After all this time without seeing them, the first meeting was phenomenal".
Valverde will make a comeback in 2012, after serving a one year doping-related suspension, that will finish by the end of 2011.
The cyclist was banned even though he was never tested positive but his DNA tests linked him to the ‘Operacion Puerto’ doping scandal.
Alejandro was cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation but UCI imposed a world-wide ban on all the involved cyclists. The ban started on January 1, 2010, and will last until December 31, 2011, as collectively decided by UCI and WADA.
Alejandro will be accompanied by Sergio Pardilla Bellon, Andrey Amador Bikkazakova, Jonathan Castroviejo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Giovanni Visconti, Pablo Lastras Garcia, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil, Angel Madrazo and Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi in the 2012 season.
The 31-year-old has ridden with the squad before as Team Movistar is the new name for Caisse d'Epargne and his return in the team will certainly strengthen the side. Eusebio Unzue, the team’s Manager, is overwhelmed about having the star all-rounder back
in the line-up.
Tags: