Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar Team) will ride next year’s Giro d'Italia, a race that he has done only once, in 2007 when he abandoned in the tenth stage. He was 22 years old and it was his first grand tour. Despite his inexperience, the Murcian rider finished in the top 10 in five of the nine stages that he completed, with a fourth place in stage 7 as his best result.

"I have had many years with the same schedule. In the last seven seasons I have done the Tour de France and needed to make a change," said Rojas in a press release.

"I really wanted to do the Giro because on TV it has always seemed to be a beautiful race. And furthermore, Alejandro also is going to do it which is great! I want to experience a new race and I want to be next to Alejandro to reach a new goal and try to get a stage victory,” he said.

On his way to the 'Corsa Rosa', Rojas will have the following schedule: Tour Down Under, Vuelta a Murcia, Clasica de Almeria, Volta ao Algarve, Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, Volta a Catalunya and Vuelta a Castilla y León.

Rojas who underwent surgery on November 18 to correct a small heart arrhythmia that barely interrupted his winter preparation, goes into his eleventh season in the professional peloton.