Leonardo Duque will spend next season at Delko Marseille-Provence KTM, returning to France after having previously spent seven years at Cofidis.

According to Spanish website Biciciclismo, Duque returns to the French squad Delko Marseille-Provence KTM (known as Marseille 13-KTM in 2015) after three years with Team Colombia which folds at the end of the year. Vélo-Club La Pomme-Marseille is aiming to move up to the Professional Continental category in 2016, the same as Cofidis, Europcar (Direct Energie in 2016) and Bretagne-Séché (Fortuneo Vital in 2016). The French team appeared on the first official list of applicants released by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The Colombian rider will be one of the leaders thanks to his experience and because he is a fast rider. The broker Colombian has done 13 Grand Tours: six editions of the Vuelta a Espana, four Giri d'Italia and three Tours de France.

Duque has a rich palmares that includes a Vuelta a Espana stage to Puertollano in 2007, the Tour du Limousin and classics like Cholet-Pays de Loire, Druivenkoers-Overijse and GP Bruno Beghelli, his last victory in 2013. He won the Coupe de France in 2010 which proves his versatility. He was also fourth in the 2012 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, only beaten by Boonen, Freire and Eisel, and touched a win in the Tour de France in 2008, beaten by Freire in Digne-les-Bains.

In 2015 he was competitive and nearly won stages in the Tour de Luxembourg and the Route du Sud; he did the Vuelta a Espana, and in the final part of the season he was eighth in the Coppa Sabatini and fifth in the GP Bruno Beghelli.

Earlier in his career he rode for Jartazi (2004-2005), Chocolade Jacques (2004 stagiare), Cofidis (2006-2012) and Team Colombia (2013-2015).

Bicicilismo also reports that Argentiniean Dani Diaz (Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos) is another South American rider to join Delko Marseille-Provence KTM in 2016. And Thierry Hupond (Giant-Alpecin), Yannick Martinez (Team Europcar), Norwegian Fredrik Stand Galta, Romain Combaud and Quentin Pacher (Armée de Terre) and Martin Laas (Team Pro Immo Nicolas Roux) are alse reported to be joining the team. Julien El Fares, Remy Di Gregorio, Benjamin Giraud and Evaldas Siškevičius will remain in the team. The roster is almost complete.