World champion Sagan to join Bora-Hansgrohe from 2017

[August 01, 2016]  (Reuters) - World champion Peter Sagan has signed a three-year deal to join German team Bora-Hansgrohe from Russian outfit Tinkoff, starting in 2017, his new team said on Monday.

The 26-year-old Slovak, who has been with Tinkoff since 2015, won the points leader's green jersey for a fifth straight year in last month's Tour de France.

Sagan's Tinkoff teammates Maciej Bodnar, Michael Kolar and Erik Baska, and his elder brother, Juraj Sagan, are also moving to the German team.

"It is a great honor to welcome one of the most popular cyclists of our time in our team," Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk said in a statement.

"That's why we tried to provide familiar surroundings as far as possible.

"I think Peter's trust in us proves that we did a good job (in recent) years and have a solid reputation in the peloton."

Sagan currently leads the WorldTour rankings and will look to defend the World Road Race Championships in Doha after winning the title in Virginia last year.

Tinkoff team rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia rides during the race. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Russian owner Oleg Tinkov will withdraw his financial backing of the Tinkoff team at the end of the 2016 season.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Neville Dalton)

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