Dani Martínez will leave Ineos Grenadiers at the end of this season to join Bora-Hansgrohe, bolstering a stage racing department that already includes Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov and his Colombian compatriot Sergio Higuita.
“I’m really happy and excited to join Bora-Hansgrohe. It’s a big team and one of the best in the world with a nice group of riders. Together we’ll take the next step,” Martínez said when Bora-Hansgrohe confirmed his signing.
The German WorldTour team have not specified the duration of Martínez’s contract.
Martínez spent three seasons at Ineos, with perhaps his stand-out performance coming at the 2021 Giro d’Italia, where he played a key role in securing Egan Bernal’s final victory while finishing fifth overall.
He went on to win Itzulia Basque Country in 2022 and the Volta ao Algarve this year, though he struggled to scale the same heights at the Tour de France.
Martínez won a stage of the Tour at Puy Mary in 2020, his final season at EF Education First, when he also landed the overall title at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
“Dani has shown huge potential as a GC rider. His capacity to climb is enormous,” said Bora-Hansgrohe head of sports Rolf Aldag.
“We trust and will build on that, even if his current season is rather mixed. What I appreciate about Dani is that he is a complete team player. In moments when things weren’t going so well as a leader, he immediately put himself at the service of the team. This ability to switch and change roles is very valuable.”
The 27-year-old is Bora-Hansgrohe’s fourth confirmed signing for 2024. Earlier this week, the team announced that Matteo Sobrero would join from Jayco-Alula, while neo-professionals Alexander Hajek and Emil Herzog will also be added to the roster.
Sprinter Sam Welsford, currently at DSM, has been heavily linked with a move to Bora-Hansgrohe for 2024.
Ineos Grenadiers have lost Tao Geoghegan Hart to Lidl-Trek but are reportedly trying to lure Remco Evenepoel away from Soudal-QuickStep, with Geraint Thomas also likely to stay with the British team.
Sam Bennett is set to depart Bora-Hansgrohe when his contract expires at the end of this season, with AG2R Citroën his rumoured destination.
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