Canyon-Slam strengthened its 2021 roster by signing rising star Mikayla Harvey to a two-year contract.

The 22-year-old New Zealander finished fifth overall at this year's Giro Rosa, topping the young rider class.

She was a member of Ekip Paul Ca, and was one of the riders who had to look elsewhere for a contract when Paul Ca failed to pay sponsorship fees and the team announced its dissolution earlier this year.

"There were many reasons that attracted me to sign with Canyon-SRAM Racing. It's a well-rounded team with a professional and open-minded approach," Harvey said.

"The team promotes positivity and an immense passion for cycling culture. I think my riding style will benefit the team and it will be a great environment for me to continue my development."

Out of New Zealand, Harvey raced for the Illuminate team in the US in 2017 and 2018 before riding with Paul Ca (then known as Bigla) to Europe in 2019.

After a solid first season, he made strides in 2020, finishing outside the top 10 in major races such as Strade Bianche, GP Plouay, and La Course, in addition to Giro Rosa and Flèche Wallonne results.

"I believe I can make a great contribution to the team in the Italian, Spanish and Ardennes races. I am a strong climber and can do a lot of damage on challenging courses," Harvey said.

"My favorite race of the season is Strade Bianche. I love gravel racing and it will be a big goal for next season."

For Canyon-Slam, which also announced contract extensions for four other riders on Wednesday, the deal brings their roster to 13.

Harvey joins Ellis Shabby from Paul Ka, while the other new additions are Neo Pro Nave Bradbury and former time trial world champion Chloe Dygert.

According to team manager Ronnie Lauke, Harvey will help strengthen areas where the team has not always shined.

"Mikayla is one of the shooting stars of the season and has made great strides. Her performance in the mountain races has been exceptional, even more so considering her youth.

"The addition of Mikayla has strengthened the climbing group, which in previous years has been underrepresented on the team. I am convinced that the talent and depth of the new players make for a very good reinforcement that will make the team more tactically versatile."

The three riders whose contracts were renewed are Alena Amiariusik, Hannah Burns, and Hannah Ludwig.

Ludwig, 20, won the U23 European time trial title in her first year, while Hannah Burns finished sixth in Liege-Bastogne-Liege in her fifth season with the team. Meanwhile, Amiariusik, who will turn 32 in February, turned down offers from other teams to re-sign with the team after finishing sixth in the Tour de Flanders.

"I really like the team because of their professionalism and the way they treat their athletes.

"I like the philosophy and philosophy behind the team. The team has always had my back, whether I won, lost, or was injured multiple times. Lastly, I am always learning from the team and that is what drives me to keep performing better."