Transfer news

Swedish rider Marcus Ljungqvist (Liquigas-Bianchi) has signed a one-year contract with Team CSC. The 30- year-old who turned pro in 1998 with Cantina Tollo has 11 career wins. He has spent some time in Team fakta, where he had CSC's sports director Kim Andersen as his director.

"It's nice to finally sign the contract after having talked to Bjarne a number of times during the season," said Ljungqvist on team-csc.com. "I'm really looking forward to joining Team CSC and working with Bjarne and Kim Andersen and I hope to be able to perform well for the team in races like Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race."

Team manager Bjarne Riis added, "We are very happy to have Marcus on our team for next season. He is a really good rider, who has the right attitude and fits perfectly on the team. Primarily he is a reinforcement to our classics team, but he is a rider, who has the ability to make a difference in almost any kind of race."

Andy Cappelle will be riding for Landbouwkrediet-Colnago next season, the team has confirmed. The 26 year-old Belgian, who last rode for Chocolade Jacques in 2004, is a two-time Belgian U23 champion (1999 and 2000).

French rider Geoffroy Lequatre (Crédit Agricole) has signed for Cofidis for the next two seasons, the team has reported. Lequatre is the fifth new rider for Cofidis, after Dutchmen Michiel Elijzen and Mathieu Heijboer (Rabobank Continental, and French Sébastien Minard (RAGT) and Tristan Valentin (Auber 93).

Czech rider Martin Mares, winner of the Tour of Qinghai Lake, will ride for Naturino-Sapore Di Mare next season, according to his management agency ACSO. Mares also won a stage in the 2004 Tour de l'Avenir, and was a Czech U23 National Champion.