This winter Pierre Rolland decided to leave Europcar and signed with Cannondale Pro Cycling. According to general manager Jonathan Vaughters, his new leader has made such a big improvement this offs-eason that fans should expect big things.

The rider explained during the teams presentation that his main goal this season will be the Tour de France: "It was a big change for me to move to Cannondale Pro Cycling team. My dream this year is for the best general classification at the Tour de France. I think the Cannondale team is very good for me for my evolution."

Rolland turned professional in 2007 for Crédit Agricole after riding for the team as a stagiaire in late 2006. In 2008 he won the Mountains classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. During the 2011 Tour de France, Rolland worked in defense of Thomas Voeckler's yellow jersey. Rolland won the 19th stage at the top of Alpe d'Huez, beating Olympic gold medalist Samuel Sánchez and two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador. "For me, my best race win was on Alpe d’Huez. It was a big thing for a Frenchman at the Tour de France. It’s a good memory for me."

The victory also won him the white jersey, which he successfully defended in the 20th stage. He finished the Tour 10th in the general classification. At the 2012 Tour de France, Rolland made a late attack to win stage 11, a mountaintop finish up in La Toussuire/Les Sybelles. He finished the Tour in eighth place in the general classification, his best career performance, and the highest position of any Frenchman that year.

At the 2014 Giro d'Italia, Rolland finished fourth in the general classification, his best finish in a Grand Tour. He also finished 11th at the Tour de France.

"When I look at Pierre Rolland - If you look at the last three or four years in cycling, team leaders and guys riding general classification at the Tour de France have their entire team on the front but with Europcar, he never had that possibility. They never even attempted to give him that sheltering", Vaughters explained to Cyclingnews. "In every single Tour de France since 2012 and forward, he’s always started the mountains with around a 10-minute deficit. You know? How did he achieve these seventh [sic] and eighth places in the Tour de France? It’s far more impressive than it looks."

Rolland will share the leadership at the Tour de France with US rider Andrew Talansky. Rigoberto Uran will target the Giro d'Italia. "Talansky and Rolland will overlap each other at the Tour de France. One of them will end up doing quite well. Maybe both, maybe both of them will end up doing quite well."