Joaquim Rodríguez has decided to continue his career in professional cycling for one more year, despite his announcement after the Tour de France to retire at the end of 2016 season. He signed with BAHRAIN MERIDA Pro Cycling Team for the 2017 season as one of the most important riders and will continue into 2018 and 2019 in an important role model within the technical staff of the team, having the role of mentor for the young riders and senior advisor to the technical staff. Rodriguez will also be an important ambassador for the promotion of cycling in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver, 37, has had long career and his fabulous achievements in cycling have brought him many titles. He has competed in the WorldTour from 2001 to 2016. His notable results in Grand Tours include fourteen stage victories, second place overall in the 2012 Giro d’Italia, 2nd overall in the 2015 Vuelta a Espana, third place in the general classification of the Vuelta in both 2010 and 2012 and third place in the 2013 Tour de France. He also finished first of the UCI world rankings in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and won classics the Giro di Lombardia and Fleche Wallonne twice, in 2012 and 2013. He also won stage races like the Volta a Catalunya 2010 and 2014, the 2015 Tour of the Basque Country and the Vuelta a Burgos in 2011.

Joaquim Rodríguez said:

“BAHRAIN MERIDA Team presented me with a very interesting project. My decision to leave the competition has always been firm, but Bahrain Merida proposed a very interesting project to me and assured me that I will feel so comfortable and motivated with them that I have decided to put a race number on my back for one more year. That´s also the reason they have offered me to be part of their important team roster for 2017 and the exciting opportunity to work within the technical staff for 2018 and 2019 so I have the possibility to return to the races. Otherwise I would never have had this exciting opportunity. This new role is new to me, but the only thing they asked me to do is what I know best: enjoy cycling as usual and bring all my experience and knowledge learned throughout my career as a rider. I think that such a possibility is a dream of any rider so the BAHRAIN MERIDA Team have offered me just what I was looking for.”

General Manager of BAHRAIN MERIDA Pro Cycling Team Brent Copeland said about Rodríguez:

“We at BAHRAIN MERIDA are very proud to make this important announcement. Joaquim is one of the most important, expert and famous riders in the world. He will bring even more expertise to our already very well established team. Having such a classy rider on the team not only brings security and confidence to team BAHRAIN MERIDA but also expert advice and mentorship to the younger riders and the rest of the team, which we feel is very important in modern days of cycling. Having Joaquim share his knowledge is an asset which is very difficult to find and we are very excited about this fact. Not only is he one of the best bike riders cycling has ever seen but he is also one of the greatest personalities and we are sure that his always optimistic attitude will be transmitted to the younger riders in the team which is something we take very seriously at BAHRAIN MERIDA pro Cycling Team. We are sure that also his new role as senior technical advisor for 2018 and 2019 will be done in the professional way which he has always shown in his career.”