Kudus re-signs with Astana

Astana have secured Eritrean rider Merhawi Kudus for another two years, keeping the 25-year-old climber with the Kazakh WorldTour outfit until at least the end of 2021, the team has reported.

Kudus joined Astana this season after five years with Dimension Data. In his final year with the African team, he won the Eritrean road race championships, and this season with his new team has won two stages and the overall title at the Tour du Rwanda, as well as finishing third overall at the Tour of Turkey.

"I've had a really good season so far with Astana, and I'm really happy with the results and with the great atmosphere we have here," said Kudus in a press release. "I'm very happy to be continuing for two more years with the team, and I'm looking forward to the next step in my career.

"Astana is a very good and tight-knit team, which feels like a family, so I'm excited to remain here. My biggest goal for next season is to gain selection for the Tour de France, and to fight there for a stage win. That's my dream," he said.

"We invited Merhawi to our team knowing about his climbing skills, and in the first half of the season he proved it 100 per cent," Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov said. "Kudus is still learning some things and gaining new experience, but we've been happy with his progress during the year.

"He's had a few more personal results, but he's also impressed us with the way he can help the team's leaders, so we're looking forward to seeing his results in the near future," he said.