The transfers carousel continues to revolve, with Pieter Serry moving up to Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Mikel Nieve re-signing with Euskaltel-Euskadi, and Ignazio Moser breaking into the pro ranks at the BMC developmental team. In addition, French media is reporting that Euskaltel is preparing to sign its first “international” rider.
Pieter Serry will join Omega Pharma-QuickStep for two years, the team announced Thursday afternoon. The 23-year-old finished third in the Brabantse Pijl and 30th in Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year. He has been with Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator since 2011.
"It's a dream come true,” Serry said on the team's Facebook page. “I hope it can be an important step in my career. I really would like to compete in some of the big races and help out the team as much as possible. I have a lot to learn at this level, but on this team I'm sure I will find the right environment to grow up professionally.”
"Serry is a rider who has qualities," Team Manager Patrick Lefevere said. "He already showed his skills during this season, but we think he can improve even more in the future. We are happy that another young and talented rider has joined our team."
Mikel Nieve has extended is contract with Euskaltel-Euskadi for three years, according to biciciclismo.com. The 28-year-old has been with the Basque team since 2009.
He holds the distinction of twice having finished in tenth place in both the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana.
Ignazio Moser, son of former pro Francesco Moser will ride for the Continental-ranked BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team, accoriding to trentinocorrierealpi.getlocal.it.
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The 20-year-old, whose cousin Moreno rides for Liquigas-Cannondale, currently rides for the amateur team Dynamom Trevigiani Bottoli. He has two wins this year. In 2010 he was junior national champion on the track in individual pursuit and runner-up for the road title.
First non-Basque rider for Euskaltel?
Euskaltel-Euskadi is on the verge of signing its first rider who has no connection to the Basque Country – Slovenian Jure Kocjan, now with Type 1-Sanofi, according to velochrono.fr.
The US-based team is said to be letting all of its non-diabetic riders go, including Kocjan. This year he won two stages at the Tour du Limousin. While he speaks neither Spanish nor Basque, he “ultimately chose the exciting challenge” of being the first international recruit for the team, the French website said.
