Rigoberto Uran joins Cannondale-Garmin

Rigoberto Uran has been unveiled as Cannondale-Garmin’s latest signing for the 2016 season.

The 28-year-old was silver medallist in the road race at the London 2012 Olympics behind Kazakhstan’s Alexandre Vinokourov.

He has also been runner-up twice at the Giro d’Italia – to Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali in 2013, a race Uran rode with Team Sky, and to his Colombian compatriot Nairo Quintana of Movistar last year, after his switch to Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

Uran was third overall in this year’s Tirenno-Adriatico, and will be racing in the one-day UCI WorldTour races in Quebec and Montreal later this month.

Confirmation of his arrival on a two-year contract with Cannondale-Garmin follows last week’s news that Dan Martin is headed the opposite way to Etixx-Quick Step.

Ryder Hesjedal, winner of the Giro d’Italia in 2012 – the year Uran won the best young rider’s classification at the Italian race – is also leaving Cannondale-Garmin, while Pierre Rolland is joining Jonathan Vaughters’ team from Europcar.

Vaughters said: “Rigo is a leader not just for his excellent skills on the road, but for his charisma.

“He brings style and passion to racing and he will be a huge asset to the team. Rigo has one more step to climb in the Giro and I will put my heart into helping make that happen.

“We are very excited to add him to our 2016 line-up,” he added.