Team Saxo-Tinkoff has signed 23-year-old Danish climber Jesper Hansen who will turn professional with the team in 2014. Having had the chance to ride as a stagiaire with the team in the second half of 2013, the Dane is seen as a future stage racer by team owner Bjarne Riis.

With the team's future being uncertain due to a lack of sponsorship, Team Saxo Bank (currently known as Team Saxo-Tinkoff) has been mostly inactive on the transfer market this season. However, the team has now confirmed its second addition for the coming season as a contract has been signed with young Dane Jesper Hansen.

23-year-old Hansen is a talented climber who rode for Danish continental team Cult Energy this year. He showed great promise by finishing 6th in the Tour de Normandie and Circuit de Ardennes and 2nd in Hadeland GP but his real standout performance came at the Tour of Norway when he finished 7th. The field loaded with experienced professionals and the race was won by Norwegian star Edvald Boasson Hagen.

In the second half of the season, he got the chance to ride as a stagiaire for Team Saxo-Tinkoff and showed his potential in the very mountainous USA Pro Challenge. Riding in support of Rory Sutherland, he still managed to finish 26th overall and 6th in the young riders' classification, thus showing that he can handle the strains of the biggest climbs in the world of cycling.

Team owner Bjarne Riis sees him as a great future stage racer.

"Jesper has shown us that he is ready to be part of the pro peloton after some impressive performances as a stagiaire for our team," he said. "He is still young and need to further develop, but if he can continue to progress, I see a huge potential in him. He is an exceptional climber, and I believe he can grow into a fantastic stage racer in the future. So obviously I'm delighted that he will be part of our team in the years to come."

Being just 23 years of age, Hansen knows that he still has a lot to learn but took the first few steps this year.

"It has been a both fantastic and educational autumn for me being part of the team," he said. "First and foremost, the level of professionalism both on and off the road has been an experience for me, and especially being part of the team's lineup for the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado stands out for me as something to remember.

"Now, I look very much forward to continue my development in this team and get the new season started. In my first year as a professional, I'll be focusing on learning, developing and gaining some more experience rather than results, and I feel great support from the team in this matter."

Hansen is the second new rider on the team for the 2014 season following the signing of neo-pro Michael Valgren Andersen. Jonas Aaen (Riwal), Jonathan Cantwell (Drapac), Mads Christensen (Cult), Anders Lund (retires), Benjamin Noval (retires) and Bruno Pires (??) will all leave the team.