British rider is Adam Blythe has signed for Tinkoff-Saxo where his duties will include supporting Peter Sagan in next season’s Spring Classics campaign.
The 25-year-old will be reunited with Sean Yates, who was sports director at NFTO, the UK-registered UCI Continental team Blythe rode for in 2014 before joining Oroca-GreenEdge for the current season.
Blythe, who rode for Omega Pharma-Lotto in 2010 and 2011 then spent two years with BMC Racing, won the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic last season. His biggest success with Orica-GreenEdge was third place at the Tour of Korea earlier this month.
He said: "Sean Yates was a sport director at NFTO and I got on with him very well. When he mentioned to me there was an opportunity, I didn't think twice about it!
“I consider Tinkoff-Saxo to be the best team in the world that has the best classics rider in the world, Peter Sagan. It will be an honour for me to help him in the classics and do a great job for him. It will be a dream to me to support Peter in the best of my abilities so that he wins a classic."
The Sheffield-born rider continued: "Someone described me this year as the most 'economical' rider in the peloton. I'm someone who knows where to place himself, weathering the wind, always in a good position. You could call it a sneaky rider and that is, I think, important when helping a team leader.”
Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Steven de Jongh, added: "The main priority for Adam will be Peter, especially in the Classics. That is where Adam will focus on, to work in support of Peter and deliver him to wins.
“We have been watching Adam and he has shown he can do good races. We hope he will further develop as a rider and reach his best level next year.”
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4 comments
Can you be "the best Classics rider in the world" having won very few of them?
I knew he had to be going somewhere, when he started selling all his Orica Kit on facebook last week. A bit of a giveaway.
That's how I knew Ian Bibby was leaving Madison Genesis.
Unfortunately I was a bit on the tubby side to buy any of his MG kit.
Bargains as well, tenner for an aerosuit. I'm not yet a pro size small though