Two-year contract

Colombian seeking for career relaunch in strengthened telephone squad after winning 2014 Paris-Nice, Young riders' jersey in 2013 Giro d'Italia

Movistar Team announces on Friday that Carlos Betancur (Ciudad Bolívar, Antioquia, COL; 1989) will be part of its roster during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Betancur, a remarkable climber throughout his whole amateur career -silver medalist in the mountainous, U23 road World Championships in Mendrisio (SUI), in 2009; winner of the 2010 GiroBio, the now-defunct, prestigious Italian stagerace for under-27 riders-, started his pro adventure at Italian outfit Acqua e Sapone, where he conquered demanding races like the Giro dell'Emilia (2011) or the Trofeo Melinda (2012) before going WorldTour with the AG2R La Mondiale squad.

At the French team, Betancur met his breakthrough as an athlete, jumping onto the podium of the Flèche Wallonne (3rd) in 2013; completing a great Giro d'Italia later that year, fifth overall -winning the Young riders' jersey in the process- and coming close to a stage win several times; and most importantly, in 2014, claiming overall success in the Tour du Haut Var and Paris-Nice, the latter conquered brilliantly with two consecutive stage victories. This season, he was close again to a maiden Grand Tour win in Italy, finishing 2nd on stage 11 in Imola.

After the 2015 season did not bring him back to the impressive results obtained in the past, Betancur is seeking for a relaunch to his career in the Movistar Team. His signing is the telephone squad's third so far for 2016, after Spaniard Jorge Arcas and Portugal's Nelson Oliveira joined during the summer.