Michael Rogers (Australia)(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Three-time former world time trial champion, Michael Rogers (Sky)(Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Michael Rogers (Team Sky)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michael Rogers (Sky) keeps close to teammate Bradley Wiggins(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Michael Rogers has signed with Team Saxo-Tinkoff for the 2013 season, the Danish team announced on Friday. The 32-year-old Australian has signed a two-year deal with Bjarne Riis's team. He had been with Team Sky since the beginning of 2011.
Rogers was part of Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France winning team in 2012 and according to reports signed Sky's anti-doping charter in October, although Sky refused to comment on the matter.
Rogers is a three-time world time trial champion, having won that title from 2003 to 2005. He has also won a number of smaller stage races, including the Bayern Rundfahrt in 2012, and the Tour of Andalucia and Amgen Tour of California in 2010.
Rogers was also named in Levi Leipheimer's affidavit in the Lance Armstrong USADA case as having attended multiple altitude training camps in 2005 with other Ferrari clients.
His talents make him “a super domestique. This season, riding in the service of Team Sky, he proved this by playing a key role in Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France victory,” Saxo-Tinkoff said in its press release.
"I think Michael's palmares pretty much speaks for itself. He is without a doubt a world class rider, a very strong time trialist, who is also capable of climbing, and on top of that he is a great guy,” said team owner Bjarne Riis.
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“Surely he will add strength to our team throughout the season, and I believe he will be a very important rider for us, both when it comes to helping Alberto in Grand Tours and to secure results on his own.”
Rogers said that he was “very excited to be joining an extremely strong and experienced squad at Team Saxo-Tinkoff for the coming seasons. I feel I can have a positive effect particularly during stage races ranging from just a few days right through to the Grand Tours. I certainly look forward to the many new challenges that lay ahead.”
The Australian turned professional in 2001 with Mapei-Quick Step, and joined T-Mobile in 2006, before moving to Sky in 2011.
