The current under-23 Austrian time trial champion, Tobias Bayer, will leave UCI Continental-level team Tirol KTM to ride in the service of Mathieu van der Poel at ProTeam Alpecin-Fenix next season, Bayer's current team has announced.
Bayer was still a junior rider when he joined Tirol KTM in 2018, but became the under-23 road race national champion the following season, having already won the junior time trial national title back in 2017, and has now signed a two-year contract with Alpecin-Fenix.
"Tobias has more than earned this career jump," said Tirol KTM team manager Thomas Pupp. "His talent, offensive racing style and numerous good results have made him very interesting for the big teams' scouts these last two years."
Alpecin-Fenix won this year's UCI Europe Tour, which secures the team the option to start at next year's WorldTour races, including the three Grand Tours and the five one-day Monuments.
It has already strengthened its roster with the signing of 2018 Paris-Roubaix runner-up Silvan Dillier, as well as UAE Team Emirates sprinter Jasper Philipsen, Edward Planckaert from Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise, Lionel Taminiaux from Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles and Xandro Meurisse from Circus-Wanty Gobert.
This season, Van der Poel won the Tour of Flanders, the Dutch road race title and stage victories at WorldTour stage races Tirreno-Adriatico and the BinckBank Tour, as well as winning the latter overall.
"We're already looking forward to the next two years, when we'll be able to watch Tobias fighting side by side with Mathieu van der Poel," Pupp said.
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