“The team roster at the moment has quite a lot of young riders, also experienced riders. I think that mix is something that’s important,” he said, on his decision to choose Cannondale-Drapac.

“It’s something I’ve had here, with my current team, for the past two years. You have the guidance as well but at the same time you have some freedom.

“That balance was what I was looking for on a team, and Cannondale-Drapac seemed the best fit for that criteria.

“You gotta go with your gut instinct. Mine told me to go with Cannondale-Drapac. It seemed like the right step.

The move will see Carthy working under former British pro Charly Wegelius, who is a directeur sportif at Cannondale and admitted he had been tracking the young rider’s progress for some time.

“Beyond his results, which anyone can see, the thing that really impresses me about Hugh is the way he’s gone about achieving what he’s achieved,” Wegelius added.

“He’s done it the hard way. In a world where riders from Great Britain are wrapped up in the bubble of British Cycling, he went out and made a go of it in Pamplona and raced with a small team. He really did it the tough way.”