🇨🇴 NEW RIDER: @HiguitSergio Sergio Higuita moves to Astana Qazaqstan Team for two seasons! 📰👉Read more: bit.ly/4gdoVM0 #AstanaQazaqstanTeam 📷 @SprintCycling
Sergio Higuita signs with Astana - "The team is transforming into a new exciting project aimed at the future"
CyclingWednesday, 04 September 2024 at 11:20
A transfer that had been in the making for a few months, now confirmed. Astana Qazaqstan Team continue their run of signings... After the likes of Alberto Bettiol, Diego Ulissi and Wout Poels the team has confirmed the signing of another experienced classics rider - Sergio Higuita.
“Sergio is a rider who is very well known in the peloton. He is a very versatile athlete, capable of delivering strong results in almost any race," team manager Alexandr Vinokourov said in a press release. "He can win on hilly terrains, in the mountains, in classic races and stage races. The team will be ready to support Sergio wherever his chances of success are highest. For us, this is a very good reinforcement, especially in week-long stage races, and I am pleased that we found common ground, and that Higuita will be part of our project for the next two seasons”.
In the past, the Colombian was one of the biggest climbing prospects in the peloton; showing off his talent in the mountains but also hilly terrain and with a quality sprint. He never made it into a Grand Tour rider but has proven his abilities as a one-week stage-racer, for example winning the 2022 Volta a Catalunya. That was his best year; taking his most recent win at the 2023 Itzulia and not being in contention for victory at World Tour level throughout this year. As Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe reinforce their ranks heavily for the upcoming season, the 27-year old was not not a priority to keep. But he is happy to join a team with more freedom and with new financial resources that allow for big signings.
“I am very happy that we found common ground and that this agreement has become a reality. Astana is a team with a great legacy in cycling, with a rich history in the WorldTour, and victories in practically all the major races in the world," Higuita commented.
"Moreover, right now, the team is transforming into a new exciting project aimed at the future, with new signings and new sponsors coming in. Overall, I think this is the place where I can continue to grow as a professional rider. Alexandr Vinokurov showed great interest and confidence in me. Together, we set goals for the next two years, and our visions aligned. I am convinced that I will do everything possible to achieve all the desired goals together”.
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