King of the Mountains winner at the Criterium du Dauphine, Alessandro de Marchi – who has made his name with his penchant for long breakaways – will move from Cannondale to BMC Racing in the winter.
Winner of the Tour de France combativity award, de Marchi – who will be joined at BMC Racing by fellow Cannondale man Damiano Caruso – has been signed to add strength to the American team’s climbing unit.
Team president Jim Ochowicz said: “Alessandro brings another sharp edge to our team’s bag of tools.
“He is an aggressive rider with multiple skills, but we are especially excited about his skills in the mountains.”
Caruso, meanwhile, has been tipped as a future team leader as well as a strong domestique for the likes of Tejay van Garderen as BMC begin to plan for life after Australian veteran Cadel Evans.
On signing the latter, Ochowicz added: “He is an outstanding climber who has delivered big results in the past and the future holds great opportunities for him both as a leader and a worker.”
