Team Ineos have expanded their 2020 roster with the signing of two young, unknown riders. The British-registered WorldTour team confirmed the signing of Colombian all-rounder Brandon Rivera 24 hours after announcing Spanish time trial specialist Carlos Rodriquez.
Rivera has joined Team Ineos on a two-year deal. Just 23-years-old, he is the current Pan American time trial champion and a former top-level junior mountain biker who has raced against Egan Bernal since the age of 10.
Team coach Cabier Artetxe underlined Rivera's potential qualities and the bond he already shares with current Tour de France champion and compatriot Bernal.
'Brandon is versatile and he can become a really good support rider for the team. He’s a strong time trialist, he can climb well and he’s also fast when sprinting from a small group,' said Artetxe.
'When he was younger, he and Egan were the two best mountain bike riders in Colombia. They were the biggest rivals but they are really good friends. They spend a lot of time training together so Egan can really help him find his feet in the team.'
Rivera is the second rider announced is as many days after Teasm Ineos confirmed the acquisition of 18-year-old Rodriquez from the Kometa Cycling junior team.
Skipping the U23 ranks entirely, the Granada-native is hailed as one of cycling's next big talents thanks to his ability to climb and time trial, something that helped him win the Gipuzkoa Klasika and Tour de Gironde in 2019.
Ineos have punted on the Spaniard with a four-year deal, such is their belief in Rodriquez, with Artexe claiming the move is the right decision in terms of the rider's development.
'He’ll start from zero, learn everything and find his place in professional cycling. I think he’s going to be a really good climber in the future. He’s an exciting talent, a bright guy doing a university course in engineering. It’s an important focus for him, keeping up his studies and his cycling,' said Artexe.
'The goal is to be in a position where he can learn as much as possible. It’s not about the results or how he performs in the races. He’ll be in training camps and races with some of the best riders in the world and learn from them.
'He’s in the best university that he can be in for cycling, and if he’s smart then he’s going to absorb all this experience.'
Both riders join Richard Carapaz, the Ecuadorian Giro d'Italia champion who joined from Movistar earlier in the year.