Lars Boom headlines Astana acquisitions

Omnisports Pulse

August 2, 2014 2:20 AM

Tour de France stage winner and classics specialist Lars Boom headlined a quartet of new signings by Astana for 2015.

The Dutchman won arguably the most dramatic stage of this year's Tour, taking line honours on stage five, which featured sections of cobblestones - or 'pave' - in driving rain; the same day Team Sky's Chris Froome crashed out of the race.

Astana announced on Friday that they have signed Boom from Belkin on a two-year contract starting in 2015, while Luis Leon Sanchez, Diego Rosa and Davide Malacarne will also join the Kazakhstan-based team next year.

"Boom is a classics rider as well as a grand tour team-mate, and won stage five this year at the Tour de France in conditions not seen on the pave in more than a decade," Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov said in a statement on the team's website.

"Malacarne and Rosa are strong Italian riders who can help Fabio Aru in stage races."

Sanchez will join from Caja Rural-Seguros, having previously raced with Boom at Belkin before being dropped due to accusations linking him with the Operacion Puerto doping case.

The four-time Spanish road time trial champion also finished in the top 10 of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in 2010.

Sanchez will be expected to provide significant support to recently-crowned Tour champion Vincenzo Nibali on future grand tours.

Rosa is racing for Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela this year, while Malacarne is at Europcar.

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