Predictor-Lotto signs Popovych

Yaroslav Popovych has signed a one year contract with an option for a further year with Belgian squad Predictor-Lotto, according to HLN.be. The Ukrainian was forced to search for a new team in 2008 when Tailwind Sports decided to leave the sport having been unable to secure a new sponsor for the 2008 season following the announcement Discovery Channel would not renew its title sponsorship deal at the end of 2007.

For Popovych it marks a return to a Belgian squad after starting his career with Landbouwkrediet-Colnago in 2002. After three strong years with the squad he made the decision to move to the Discovery Channel squad in 2005 and was touted as the next star of the team.

In 2003 he finished third in the Giro d'Italia and followed that up with a 12th place overall and the white jersey in the 2005 Tour de France. This year, while working for Discovery Channel team-mates Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer, he finished eighth in the Tour. The Paris-Nice stage winner's arrival at Predictor-Lotto bolsters the team for the 2008 Tour. Following Cadel Evans' strong second place behind Contador at the Tour in July, Predictor-Lotto will be looking to place more strong riders around the Australian in the hope of going one better in 2008.