Earlier today it was announced that world class sprinter Marcel Kittel has signed a contract with the Katusha-Alpecin team.

According to a statement released by the Katusha-Alpecin team, Kittel has signed a two year contract with the team and will deliver world class sprint performances for it in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

"I'm really looking forward to a new challenge in new colors," said 29-year-old Kittel, who was born in Arnstadt, Germany. "For me, this moment is exciting and with this step I also hope to get new inspiration. I believe I find all the resources in the team that I need in order for me to be strong in the sprint finals. I have note that the Katusha-Alpecin sprint train has been functioning very well this season."

"The Katusha-Alpecin team has undergone major changes in recent years. I've been watching these changes for a long time and I think it's good. That is why I am looking forward to being part of the team and join them in the direction they are heading. Team spirit has always been important to me and it is one of the reasons why I became a professional cyclist," Kittel added.

Kittel was a time trial specialist in his youth. He twice earned gold in the Junior World Championships and has won the U23 European Championships. He turned professional in 2011 and rapidly developed a strong dominance in the sprints. In the 2017 Tour de France he won five stages and almost won the points competition.

With 14 stage victories so far, Kittel is the most successful German of all time in the Tour de France when it comes to stage wins. Additionally, Kittel has won four Giro d'Italia stages (2014, 2016) and one stage in the 2011 Vuelta a Espana.

"The icing on the cake is of course that my move to Katusha-Alpecin will enable me to race with my good friend Tony Martin again. He has given me good insight into the team and was important in my decision-making process. His opinion about the team was of course important to me," a joyful Kittel added.

"We are very happy to have Marcel in the team. We can say that he is the best sprinter in the world at the moment," Katusha team manager Jose Azevedo explained. "He showed this quite impressively in the Tour de France, where he won five stages. He will be one of our most important riders and can look forward to strong support from the team. We will try to support him in the best possible way to ensure that he can continue delivering his successful results," Azevedo explained.