Contador joins Saxo Bank-SunGuard

Three-times Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has signed for Denmark's Saxo Bank-SunGuard team on a two-year contract, team manager Bjarne Riis announced.

Spaniard Contador announced last week he would not renew his contract with Kazakh-funded Astana who he joined in 2008.

Contador won his third Tour de France title on July 25, finishing the gruelling three-week race 39 seconds ahead of Saxo Bank team leader Andy Schleck.

Luxembourg rider Schleck, also runner-up to Contador in 2009, and his brother Frank have said they will leave at the end of the season for a new team.

Saxo Bank will remain a co-sponsor of the team, which has also enrolled US software group SunGard as a co-sponsor, Riis and the bank said on Tuesday.

The announcement reversed a January decision by Saxo Bank to drop its sponsorship of the cycling team at the end of 2010.

Instead Saxo Bank will be a co-title sponsor for another year along with SunGard which signed up as a sponsor during the Tour de France.

"The team will be called Saxo Bank-SunGard Professional Cycling Team," Saxo Bank said in a statement.

"With these two companies committed to the team, we have a solid financial foundation for the future," Riis said.

Reuters