Sky announce revamped race team

Sky have signed seven new names to their roster, announced ten renewals and have said goodbye to six, including Australians Richie Porte, Chris Sutton and Nathan Earle.

Sky will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in 2016 Source: Getty Images

Team Principle, Sir Dave Brailsford is confident the new roster, which looks formidable on paper, will see Sky go from strength to strength during their seventh season in the peloton. He believes it contains an ideal mix of youth and experience.

"January 2015 marked the start of the next chapter for Team Sky with our ambition to be indisputably the best team in the world by 2020,” said Brailsford. “We have taken the first steps on that path and I am proud of what we have achieved this season. However we can never be complacent and must always look forward.”

Two-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome will continue to headline the team, but the team as a whole will be more competitive across the board.

"It's a strong team, led by Chris Froome, that will ensure that we can be even more competitive in all the major races, from Grand Tours to Classics,” said Brailsford.

"We have recruited some of the best young talent from around the world in [2014 road world champion] Michal Kwiatkowski and Mikel Landa. At the same time we have been able to keep the nucleus of this year's successful team together by re-signing riders of the calibre of Vasil Kiryienka, the new time trial world champion.

"Cycling is a global sport and Team Sky will always look to recruit the best riders from around the world. But we remain a British team with a strong British core. I'm pleased that the five British riders who were such a big part of this year's successful Tour de France team will all be riding for us again in 2016, along with new signing Alex Peters.”

Other new recruits include Michal Golas, Benat Intxausti, Gianni Moscon, and Danny van Poppel. They will join Ian Boswell, Philip Deignan, Sebastian Henao, Peter Kennaugh, Christian Knees, Mikel Nieve, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Xabier Zandio who have renewed their contracts with team.

12 riders remain under their existing contract with Sky and will ensure the team can once again tap into its winning formula for key events throughout the season: Andrew Fenn, Chris Froome, Sergio Henao, Leopold Konig, David Lopez, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Wout Poels, Salvatore Puccio, Nicolas Roche, Ben Swift, Geraint Thomas and Elia Viviani.

"Of course some riders will be leaving us,” said Brailsford. “They have all made a massive contribution to the team on and off the bike.”

Sky will lose its three Australian riders, Richie Porte, Nathan Earle and Chris Sutton. Bernhard Eisel, Danny Pate, and Kanstantsin Siutsou are also finishing their time with team.

“We will miss them and look forward to the opportunity of thanking them properly later this year for everything they have done for Team Sky," said Brailsford.