Dan Martin leaves Quick Step for UAE

Paris - Ireland's Dan Martin has agreed to join UAE Team Emirates from Quick Step Floors for the next two seasons, the Emirati team said on Friday.

Martin, 30, finished sixth at the Tour de France last month despite Quick Step being focused on stage wins with star sprinter Marcel Kittel rather than the overall classification.

"As I enter into the most important years of my career, they (UAE) offer me the best platform possible to reach my potential and fulfil my sporting goals," said Martin, one of a small number of current riders to have won two prestigious 'Monument' one-day classics.

Martin won Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2013 and the Tour of Lombardy a year later but has since developed into one of the best stage racers in the world, finishing seventh in the 2014 Vuelta a Espana and ninth at last year's Tour before improving on that this time around.

Australian Rory Sutherland, 35, has also joined UAE for a year from Movistar.

I want to thank everyone at @quickstepteam for 2 years full of great memories. Determined to finish my time here in the same successful way. pic.twitter.com/fjCPXsOf5e

— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) August 18, 2017

Very excited to join @TeamUAEAbuDhabi. Looking forward to bringing this team to the top of cycling together w/ the staff & my new teammates. pic.twitter.com/jLZWCidzIe

— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) August 18, 2017