Santaromita joins Orica-GreenEdge for 2014
The Italian national road race champion departs BMC Racing after three seasons
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Reigning Italian national road race champion Ivan Santaromita has signed with Orica-GreenEdge for the 2014 season.
The 29-year-old also scored a victory at Giro del Trentino this year, winning the third stage of the five-stage race. Orica is trying to bolster its roster with climbers like Santaromita, the first Italian to ride for the Australian squad.
“He’s a great addition,” Orica sport director Matt White said in a team release. “The Italian jersey is a big jersey to bring to GreenEdge. It’s a very revered jersey in Europe. There’s one area we are starting to bolster and that’s in our climbing. Ivan certainly does bolster that.”
Santaromita first turned pro in 2006, riding on Quick Step for two years and Liquigas for three. He signed with BMC Racing for the 2011 season and has been with the U.S.-based outfit since.
Santaromita said he’ll be able to “grow as a rider” as a member of the Orica squad, which focuses more on stage wins than GC results.
“I look forward to helping my new teammates to even more success,” he said. “When given the opportunity, I would obviously also like to repay their faith in me with some results along the way. I think my strengths are mainly in the stage races and hopefully I can be an asset to the team there.”
Santaromita has ridden in six grand tours, his best finish being a 30th-place showing at the Giro d’Italia this year.