Confirmed: Gatto, Valgren, Hansen and Moser to Astana
Aug 01 2016 07:05 pm CET
Astana has announced four new signings to join the team for the 2017 season. Three of them will come from Tinkoff team with Oscar Gatto, Michael Valgren and Jesper Hansen all making the move. They will be joined by Moreno Moser who is currently at Cannondale-Drapac.
Gatto has participated in 11 Grand Tours and has had victories in races like the Giro d'Italia and the Tour of Austria. "Oscar Gatto is an excellent classic rider and finisher. He is an experienced rider who will help and teach our Alexey Lutsenko," said Astana's General Manager Alexander Vinokourov.
Last weekend Danish rider Valgren took the overall victory in the Tour of Denmark for the second time and has also won Liège-Bastogne-Liège. At Astana he will continue to focus on the classics.
Hansen has won in the Tour of Norway and was on the Podium of the Tour of Croatia. He will be bringing his climbing skills. "We have also signed a young mountain rider, Jesper Hansen who will help our Aru in mountain stages of marathon cycling races," commented Vinokourov.
Moser's victories in the Tour de Pologne, the Tour of Austria and the Strade Bianche convinced Astana to add him to its roster and the Kazakh outfit has big plans for him. "We will make him a good cycling rider for such week-long stage races as Paris-Nice, as well as classics. As we remember, he was good in stages of the Giro this year and he has potential for growth," the General Manager added.
