Team Radioshack announced three more signings for the upcoming season today. The US-based squad brought in Portuguese rider Manuel Antonio Cardoso from Footon-Servetto, New Zealander Jesse Sergent from its Trek-Livestrong U23 team and Pole Michal Kwiatkowski from the Caja Rural Continental squad.
Cardoso, winner of a stage in the 2010 Tour Down Under, has 33 victories to his name as a professional rider including the 2009 national championship.
Sergent has been riding with Radioshack as a trainee since August. He is a silver medalist in the track world championships in the individual pursuit, won the time trial stage in the Tour of Gila over specialists Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie, and has a bronze medal from the Summer Olympics in Beijing in the team pursuit.
Kwiatkowski, 20, is a former junior world time trial champion (2008), a double European champion (road race 2007, time trial 2008) and the current Polish U23 champion.
"All three riders are classy riders. They have a lot of potential," said Radioshack team manager Johan Bruyneel. "We believe in them. These talents will be well surrounded by our experienced riders. We need to work on the future of Team RadioShack and of cycling in general. This is a first step. Currently we are negotiating with other potential future riders for our 2011 team."
Other transfer news
Another Pole will be stepping up into the ProTour. Lampre announced this week the signing of Przemyslaw Niemiec.
Niemiec, 30, has been with Miche since 2004 and with Amore & Vita prior to that. He won a stage of the Coppi e Bartali race this year, one stage of the Giro del Trentino in 2009 and the final overall classification of Route du Sud 2009 and of Giro di Slovenia 2005.
"Each time that we took part in races in which Niemiec was there too, we could see his amazing performances on climbs," said team manager Giuseppe Saronni. "Przemyslaw has outstanding qualities as a climber that allowed him to conquer many classifications as king of the mountain: we wanted to give him the chance to test himself in top level races. We're also sure about his willingness to support the team captains, so his role in the team will became very important".
"Joining Lampre-Farnese Vini means for me reaching the top level of the cycling world," Niemiec said. "I know that I have to give my best in order to give value to this chance: I've always dreamed of competing in the top races, against top climbers on the most important mountains, so I want to give everything for my new team".
AG2R-La Mondiale announced the signing of Italian Matteo Montaguti, 26, from the De Rosa-Stac Plastic team.
Skil-Shimano signed Thomas Damuseau and Thomas Bonnin, both of whom debuted in the professional peloton last month as a stagiaire for the team.
The Dutch team also extended the contract of sprinter Kenny Van Hummel for another year.
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