Soler signs with Caisse d’Epargne
Colombian climbing ace Maurcio Soler will leave Barloworld to ride for Caisse d’Epargne in 2010. That’s according to the Spanish wire service EFE, who reports Soler will join the Spanish team run by manager Eusebio Unzue. The 26-year-old Colombian burst onto the scene in 2007, when he won a stage and the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.
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By Andrew Hood
Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Colombian climbing ace Maurcio Soler will leave Barloworld to ride for Caisse d’Epargne in 2010.
That’s according to the Spanish wire service EFE, who reports Soler will join the Spanish team run by manager Eusebio Unzue.
The 26-year-old Colombian burst onto the scene in 2007, when he won a stage and the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.
Since then, the wiry climber has fallen on tough times, literally, crashing out of last year’s Giro d’Italia with a broken wrist and before abandoning that year’s Tour as well. Luck hasn’t been with him this year, either, crashing early in the Giro this year and then abandoning.
Soler’s gone winless since the 2007 Vuelta a Burgos, but is hoping a change to Caisse d’Epargne will see him rediscover the winning formula.
Soler joins Marzio Bruseghin and Christophe Moreau as new arrivals for 2010.
Joaquim Rodríguez is leaving to join Katusha next season and there’s still talk that the team is trying to lure Alberto Contador.
Astana, however, issued a statement over the weekend to clarify that the recently crowned Tour winner has one year remaining with the Kazakhs and they have every intention of keeping him on the roster for 2010.