Top South African cyclist Louis Meintjes has signed a two-year contract with UCI WorldTour team Lampre-Merida and will join the Italian outfit in 2016.
Meintjes, currently lying 10th in the general classification at the Vuelta a España, confirmed this in a statement to cyclingnews.com. The 23-year-old will be leaving Africa’s first ProContinental team MTN-Qhubeka where he started his professional career in 2012.
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“I’m really excited to be taking this step up to the WorldTour level with team Lampre-Merida for the next two seasons,” said Meintjes in his statement.
“I think it will bring with it lots of new opportunities and the possibility to learn from a very experienced team. One of the reasons I decided on going to an Italian-based team is because Italy has become my home away from home.
“Motivation is super high and I can’t wait for 2016, said Meintjes.
He said he hoped to live up to the confidence that the team, manager Brent Copeland, and Giuseppe Saronni and the Galbusera family from the Lampre and Merida companies had placed in him.
Meintjes came home 17th in the 138km stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, four minutes and nineteen seconds behind Spanish stage winner Mikel Landa, riding in the colours of Astana.
