Daniel Martinez (1996) is the latest signing of Claudio Corti's Colombia team which now has 17 riders on its 2015 roster. The team still has a few open spots after the losses of Fabio Duarte and Jarlinson Pantano. Cayetano Sarmiento is the most significant addition for 2015 while veterans Leonardo Duque and Miguel Ángel Rubiano will continue at the team.

Daniel Martinez is one of the jewels that come from  Colombian cycling. He is born in Bogota, but grew up in Cundinamarca. In 2012 he won the Vuelta del Futuro and last year he was 15th at the Worlds in Florence. He was recruited by the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle and this year he stayed in Switzerland and raced in Europe for three months.

"At the UCI centre, I learned a little about the environment in Europe. It was an interesting experience for my life because I saw some important things that are sure to help me later," Daniel Martinez told the Colombian Cycling Federation in an interview.

The youngster explains how he got the chance to join Colombia.

"I had already talked to Claudio Corti at the Worlds.He said he was interested in having me on the team, but I really did not imagine that it would already be next year. Now after knowing about the interest, he approached my agent and everything was finalized. There were other options in Europe, but I was offered the best conditions by this great team, the best in Colombia."

"At Colombia, the goal is to learn in Europe and adapt quickly like Rigoberto Uran did when he came to Europe," he says.

It is the eighth signing of Team Colombia. Among the seven additions, the only rider with recent experience at the top level is Sarmiento after three years with Liquigas/Cannondale. The other signings are from Colombia teams, most notably Alex Cano, the current leader of the Vuelta a Guatemala, and Walter Pedraza, who is a former Selle Italia and Tinkoff rider. The commitment to young talent remains intact, with the signings of Jorge Camilo Castiblanco (1988), sprinter and track rider Juan Sebastián Molano (1994), time triallist Carlos Mario Ramirez (1994) and Brayan Ramirez (1992). The latter two were part of the team that helped Miguel Angel Lopez win the Tour de l'Avenir and did the Worlds in Ponferrada.

Edwin Avila, Jonathan Paredes, Darwin Pantoja, Edward Diaz who all had an existing contract, Miguel Angel Rubiano, Carlos Julian Quintero, Leonardo Duque, Rodolfo Torres and Juan Pablo Valencia will stay with the team after the 2014 season in which the team did the Giro for the second year in a row and only won three races.

Team Colombia loses three key riders: Duarte who still hasn't revealed his future plans; Pantano who will join IAM Cycling, and Robinson Chalapud who returns to Colombia. Duarte finished second in the Giro stages to Rifugio Panarotta and Montecampione, only beaten by Fabio Aru and Julian Arredondo, respectively. Chalapud, meanwhile, left the team after not feeling valued.