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Narvaez leaves Ineos to join Pogacar's UAE team / Photo: Fabio FERRARI - POOL/AFP
Narvaez leaves Ineos to join Pogacar's UAE team
Ecuadorian cyclist Jhonatan Narvaez is to leave Ineos after six years in the saddle in order to join Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team, the Tour de France winner's outfit announced on Thursday.
The 27-year-old puncheur holds 11 professional victories to his name, most notably two stage wins in the Giro d'Italia in 2020 and 2024 alongside a gold medal in the Pan American Championships road race in 2023.
"Since the beginning of my career I've always wanted to be involved at the highest level of cycling and we can say that UAE Team Emirates is the best team in the world in the last years so it's an honour to be moving there," said Narvaez who is in his sixth season at Ineos.
"I feel I've taken big steps at Ineos but I think I still have margin to take another step in the coming years."
As the transfer window opened on Thursday, two other deals were announced with Australian Ben O'Connor and Frenchman Axel Zingle both on the move.
O'Connor, who was fourth in the Tour de France in 2021, is leaving Decathlon-AG2R after four seasons to return home to Australia with the Jayco-AlUla team.
"It's an idea I have always loved, to race as an Aussie and win on an Aussie team," O'Connor, 28, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Zingle has signed a minimum two-year deal with Visma-Lease a bike, the team of double Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert.
The 25-year-old rider, who Visma described as "a great talent for the classics", leaves the Cofidis team, which has also announced the arrival of the Belgian Dylan Teuns.
M.Michel--PS
