Bahrain-Merida has now confirmed they will race under the name Bahrain McLaren next season, as bike brand Merida steps back after three seasons.
Former British Cycling and Team Sky coach Rod Ellingworth has taken up his role as team principal and is targeting Grand Tour success with the help of McLaren, which owns 50 per cent of the UCI WorldTour team.
Bahrain McLaren have signed Mark Cavendish, Mikel Landa and Wout Poels for 2020.
“We are delighted to have formalised our joint venture partnership with Bahrain World Tour Cycling Team,” new Joint Managing Director John Allert said.
“As Bahrain-Merida, the team quickly established its credentials in the most elite form of road racing – the UCI WorldTour – becoming the only team ever to score a Grand Tour podium in its debut year, and most recently winning two stages of this year’s Tour de France. As Bahrain McLaren we are excited to build on that legacy, and to work with a variety of technical partners, including Merida, to write a new chapter of success.
“McLaren’s racing pedigree is founded on decades of performance in the most technologically advanced sport in the world. We now look forward to applying this knowledge to elite cycling, for the benefit of our riders, our partners and fans of this exciting and rapidly growing sport. We are confident that professional cycling is entering a great new era, an era in which passion and technology will combine to unleash exciting new possibilities. This is what Team Bahrain McLaren is all about.”
Bahrain McLaren also confirmed that Milan Eržen will work alongside Allert as Joint Managing Director.
