Omega Pharma announce Renshaw, Uran signings

Belgian outfit Omega Pharma Quick-Step on Thursday confirmed the signings of Colombia's Rigoberto Uran and Australia's Mark Renshaw on two-year deals. Both riders will remain with the team through to the end of the 2015 season, with Uran moving from Team Sky and Renshaw arriving from Dutch team Belkin. Uran, 26 and a climber in the mould of his compatriot Nairo Quintana, was a silver medallist at last year's London Olympics road race and finished second overall at this year's Giro d'Italia. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Renshaw will be reunited with Mark Cavendish, becoming a lead-out rider for the British sprinter, with whom he raced for three years up to 2011 at the HTC High Road team. "After a couple of years apart, riding on the same team as my good friend Mark Cavendish again is something I am going to enjoy. It will be great returning to lead-out duties fighting for victories with Cav," Renshaw said in a statement released by his new team. The duo follow in the footsteps of Italy's Alessandro Petacchi, who last month reversed a decision to retire from the sport when he agreed to join Omega Pharma until the end of next season. Source: AFP