Viviani, 28, spent three years with Team Sky, winning his only Tour stage with them at the Giro d’Italia in 2015. The announcement of Viviani’s arrival came shortly after it was confirmed that Marcel Kittel would be joining Katusha-Alpecin.
“Quick-Step Floors is the best choice I could make”, said Viviani. “When Patrick Lefevere came with this offer, I just couldn’t say no to one of the biggest teams in the world. I am honoured to join a squad with such a fantastic pedigree, one that has excelled in the art of sprinting over time. I couldn’t be happier about this transfer, so that’s why I want to thank Patrick and the entire team for this chance and their trust.”
“I also want to thank Team Sky for the three years spent together and the great memories, but now the time has come to take on a new challenge. This is the right step in my career, because I’m confident it can help me progress. I am 28 now and I really want to find out next season what I can do in an outfit which gives me opportunities.
“I’m also excited about being on the same team with Fernando Gaviria, one of the fastest riders in the peloton, who I got to know from the events we raced together as opponents in the past two seasons”, concluded Viviani, the third new name unveiled by Quick-Step Floors ahead of next year, following the announcements of neo-pro Jhonathan Narvaez and Florian Sénéchal.
“We have followed Elia’s career for a long time and now we are happy to welcome him to the team. He is a proven winner, a rider who has an impressive palmares and an equally impressive set of skills, and I’m convinced he will fit perfectly in our team with his mentality and winning attitude”, Patrick Lefevere, Quick-Step Floors’ CEO, said.
“Having signed one of the peloton’s fast finishers means we’ll offer him the services of one of the best lead-out men out there, and that’s what Fabio Sabatini is. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which you could see on display on numerous occasions in these past years, as he has helped our sprinters take memorable victories and forge a remarkable palmares”, Lefevere concluded.
