Kwiatkowski heading to Team Sky starting in 2016

With the usual late-season shakeup nearing its climax — “silly season,” it’s called — there’s news of at least one more major signing, joining a world-class cyclist with the ranks of a world-class team.

This time, it’s Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski, who’s been confirmed to join Team Sky in 2016.

It’s another loss for Etixx-QuickStep, which has been the 25-year-old rider’s home team for the last four seasons, and under whose banner he won the 2014 road race at the UCI world championships. Kwiatkowski joins other riders already confirmed to be starting next season with Team Sky, including Alex Peters, Gianni Moscon, Michal Golas, Danny van Poppel, Mikel Landra, and Benat Intxausti.

The skilled climber, who won both the rainbow jersey and the overall win at this year’s Amstel Gold Race, is expected to be at the forefront of the British team’s strategy going into the Ardennes Classics, with the races of the event almost infamous for traversing some mountainous, trying Belgian terrain — something that, with the other talent added to the team, amounts to a strategic move for Sky.

In an announcement released by the team, the Polish rider said, “Team Sky aims for the highest goals in cycling, so I’m very happy that this move has become a reality. Sir Dave Brailsford [the team’s principal] believes in my ability, which gives me great confidence for next season, and I know that this team can help me raise my performance levels and win big races.”

That belief in Kwiatkowski’s talent, according to reports, is certainly reflected by the sentiment of Brailsford himself.

“Michal has performed fantastically over the past couple of years,” the Sky manager said. “We have been following his career for a long time. We have attempted to sign him on two occasions previously and weren’t going to miss out this time.” That the powerful young climber is still fresh in his career, Brailsford suggested, is a big part of the prestigious team’s interest in him. In a sense, it seems as if Sky is trying to get in on the ground floor of that career — and, having signed him, it’s a move that’s working out so far for the British team.

“Michal is still young, a great talent for the future, and will keep getting better,” Brailsford added.

Kwiatkowski, too, definitely sees Sky as the place for him as much as the team sees the Polish cyclist as among their chosen talent going into next season. Continuing his thoughts on his pending career move, he said, “The team’s marginal gains philosophy really fits my approach to cycling and I have great respect for what this team has achieved in such a short time. I am excited and motivated to race for Team Sky next year.”