UAE Team Emirates have officially announced the signing of Fabio Aru, who is no doubt a major coup for the outfit.
The Italian national champion has agreed a three-year deal with the Emirati team.
“We are happy to welcome a champion like Fabio Aru,” said team manager, Carlo Saronni.
“His skills perfectly match the ambitions of the team. Besides highlighting Aru’s enormous potential, I’d like to point out that he is a rider who can stir up excitement amongst the fans and he is well-loved because of his generosity on a bike.
“With his performances, he will contribute to promoting an ideal team image and he will likely help us achieve important, competitive results.”
The 27-year-old Aru won the Vuelta a Espana in 2015, the Young Rider classification at the Giro d’Italia that same year, and this season, he claimed his first Tour de France stage.
He had been with the Kazakh outfit Astana since he turned professional in 2012.
“I’m honoured that the UAE Team Emirates management and their sponsors want to unite our cycling endeavours,” said Aru.
“I thank them for the faith they’ve placed in me and I hope to live up to their expectations. I would also like to thank everyone who has been with me up to now in my career, they’ve all been important to my development.”