Vincenzo Nibali will continue his career with the new Bahrain Merida team. The former Tour winner will leave the Astana team. He will be the undisputed leader in the new team and a team will be built around him, it was announced on Wednesday.

Nibali is the first official signing of the new team.

"I was immediately fascinated by the idea of a strong project plan built around me. I have believed in the team from day one, because it has a clear vision and is to be carried out by some of the best professionals in the sport," Nibali said in a statement issued by the team.

"This trust and confidence in me made me take the final decision for this new exiting adventure of my career. I can’t wait to meet their expectations at the most important races in the world wearing the jersey of Bahrain Merida."

Nibali is currently in Rio to prepare for the Olympic Games.