George Bennett to leave Jumbo-Visma for UAE Team Emirates in 2022

George Bennett will be leaving Jumbo-Visma to join rivals UAE Team Emirates for the 2022 season.

Bennett, who is the national champion of New Zealand, has signed a two-year contract with the team from the United Arab Emirates, joining a long list of names to do so for the 2022 season.

The New Zealander has been with Jumbo-Visma for seven years after signing from the Cannondale team back in 2015 and has developed into one of the finest climbers and domestiques around. He has just won two races, the overall at the Amgen Tour of California in 2017 and Gran Piemonte in 2020, beating the likes of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).

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Bennett has been best riding for Slovenian rider, Primož Roglič, in the Grand Tours. But now he will be joining the train for another rider from Slovenia; two-time Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogačar.

Speaking in a team press release, Bennett said: "I’m really excited about my move to UAE Team Emirates. I’m looking forward to helping the team reach new heights across many races. I have seen the team take huge steps forward every year and this progression is something I really want to be a part of.

"It’s also nice to link up with Finn Fisher-Black, as we both come from the same hometown in New Zealand. There’s an exciting group of young guys coming through at UAE and it’s great to be joining that environment and bringing my experience to the team."

UAE Team Emirates have been very busy so far in the opening couple of weeks in the transfer window, signing five riders along with two young riders Felix Groß and Juan Ayuso, who have joined in mid-season moves.

The other riders are João Almeida, Marc Soler, Pascal Ackermann, and Álvaro Hodeg, adding yet more strength to the team in the mountains and the sprints.

The CEO and team principal of UAE Team Emirates, Mauro Gianetti said: "George is one of the best climbers in the peloton and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team. He brings a lot of experience and we feel he can play a pivotal role both through his sporting qualities and also as a reference for some of our younger riders. 

"Our expectation is that he will have his own opportunities but will also contribute his quality to working in a team role when called upon. We’re very pleased to have him on board as we continue to grow as a team."

George Bennett is just one of a large number of riders on the move, keep up with all the transfers in the men's and women's WorldTour with our transfer page.