Italian sprinter Elia Viviani will join UAE Team Emirates on August 1 and contest the Vuelta a Espana later in the month with the Abu Dhabi team, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist, 28, has apparently agreed a two-year contract after Team Sky gave him permission to leave mid-season – a switch that is allowed under UCI rules but still has to be approved.
Viviani is not currently part of Team Sky’s Tour de France squad but is expected to ride for the Italian national team in the European road race championships on August 2.