A total of 22 riders have now been announced by the British team, which will make its first appearance at the Tour Down Under in January 2010.

 

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky's principal, said; "We want to be able to compete at the highest level from the beginning of the year and with these new signings we have added significantly to our ability to do that.

 

"These new signings underline our international profile and our striving ambition to put together an excellent high-performance group of athletes who will be able to put Team Sky on the map in the new season."

 

Calzati, a 30-year-old who won the eighth stage of the Tour de France in 2006, joins from Agritubel while Portal, who is also 30 and has ridden in the Tour de France six times, leaves Caisse d’Epargn after four years.

 

Hayman, a 31-year-old Australian who won the road race the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, has been with Rabobank since turning professional in 2000.

 

"It's a great pleasure for us to have Sylvain and Nicolas on-board as our first two French riders.

 

"They are both experienced pros with a lot of good results on their CVs and they are both really versatile, all-round riders.

 

"Mathew has made his mark at the Classics, is a great team player and a solid performer throughout the year."
 

Negotiations about Wiggins leaving Garmin Slipstream are understood to be continuing and Brailsford remains optimistic that a deal can be signed before the new season starts.

 

 

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