Former world cyclo-cross champion Lars Boom, the winner of the cobbled stage five at this year’s Tour de France, will be lining up with Astana next season.

The Dutchman, 28, put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Kazakhstan-sponsored team where he will link up with the likes of Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali.

With Belkin withdrawing their sponsorship of the team next year, both Boom and GC man Bauke Mollema have already tied up transfers for next season.

An accomplished one-day racer, Boom joins a team without a recognised Classics specialist which could see him step out of Sep Vanmarcke’s shadow and live up to the potential he showed he has at the Tour de France.

The Ster-ZLM Toer champion in 2013, Boom is also more-than capable as a GC man in the smaller events and proved his worth as a domestique in the mountains when working for Laurens ten Dam and Mollema at the Tour.

Luis Leon Sanchez (Caja Rural), Davide Malacarne (Team Europcar) and Diego Rosa (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela) have also signed for Astana for 2014.