Juul-Jensen signs for Orica-GreenEdge

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Danish time trial champion Chris Juul-Jensen has signed a two-year deal to join the Orica-GreenEdge team. Juul-Jensen will leave Tinkoff-Saxo at the end of this year to ride with the Australian team for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He is the second rider that the team have signed in recent weeks with the announcement yesterday that they had secured the services of Basque rider Amets Txurruka on a one-year deal.

“I’m very happy and excited to be joining Orica-GreenEdge for the coming two years,” Juul-Jensen said in a team press release. “Orica-GreenEdge has some of the most well respected, experienced and winning riders of the peloton as well as the biggest up and coming talent. To be part of such a group of riders is going to be an incredible experience. I want to help make a difference and have an impact wherever and whenever possible.”

Juul Jensen, who was born in Ireland but rides under a Danish licence, wrote on twitter after the announcement on Monday morning: “It's been 4 great years with @tinkoff_saxo. An unforgettable experience!! THANK YOU to everyone involve!!”

The 26-year-old turned professional with Tinkoff-Saxo in 2012, when it was run by former Danish cyclist Bjarne Riis. He has predominantly worked as a support rider for team leaders Peter Sagan and Alberto Contador, forming part of the team that won the Giro d’Italia earlier this season. Juul-Jensen claimed his first major victory as a professional rider when he beat Rasmus Quaade to the Danish national time trial title.

“Chris is a very very versatile rider,” said directeur sportif Matt White. “We will use him in a couple of different roles. He is going to bolster our Flemish Classics department. Jens Keukeleire has obviously been a great performer for us in that area so he will be a great support to him.

“And what Grand Tour he does, we will wait and see the routes, but he is a guy that is ready for the Tour de France. We are evolving over time into a team that rides for general classification and he has that experience of being part of a winning team. That’s a key reason why we see him as so valuable.”

Following a altitude training camp with Tinkoff-Saxo in July, Juul-Jensen made his return to racing at the Tour de Wallonie. He is set to lead the team’s GC hopes at the Tour of Denmark, which begins this Tuesday.