EF Pro Cycling Team announced the renewal of its contract with Lachlan Morton (28).

Morton, who hails from Australia, supported the team at this season's Giro d'Italia, where Jonathan Caicedo and Ruben Guerreiro each took stage wins and the Portuguese took the overall mountains win. This will be Morton's third consecutive year competing in the Giro d'Italia, in addition to the past two years with Garmin-Sharp, and will be a mix of World Tour road racing and adventure racing.

"There are many reasons why I want to stay with this team. The big three are the people, the opportunities, and the partners."

"The opportunity to compete in World Tour events while pursuing new and exciting adventures with one team is a dream for me, a dream that can only come true with EF. We have great riders and staff and honestly feel like a family. Our partners provide us with the best equipment and support."

In addition to racing on the World Tour, Morton has been given the freedom to pursue ultra racing, setting records on the GBDuro in 2019, setting the fastest known times on the Kokopelli Trail in Utah and Colorado, and during the COVID-19 coronavirus break He set a record for climbing Mount Everest.

"We want to keep doing as much as we can. We have lots of ideas for alternative events. We want to do as much as we can in that area. But I also have new motivation to set new goals and pursue them in world tour events."

However, Morton said that racing in the Giro d'Italia this season has been inspiring.

"It was amazing. It was incredibly motivating. I learned a lot and it ignited my mind to come back and be competitive in competitions like this. It's like I'm back in a new sport again."

With no word on whether the NTT Pro Cycling team will still be around in 2021, South African champion Ryan Gibbons will move to UAE team Emirates for the next two seasons.

The 26-year-old from Johannesburg won the 2017 Tour de Langkawi and proved to be a top finisher this season with two top-five finishes at the Tour de Pollogne. He joins Matteo Trentin of the CCC team and Bora-Hansgrohe's Rafal Mayka on the team.

"I am really looking forward to joining UAE Team Emirates for the next two seasons," Gibbons said.

"I am honored to be a part of such a great team that has achieved so much success and proved to be one of the best in the peloton. There is no doubt that this move is very important for my personal development and future as a professional cyclist, and I am looking forward to starting this new journey."

Team Manager Mauro Gianetti says: "Ryan is a versatile rider and has shown himself to be a very dynamic and strong team player. He has grown a lot in the last few seasons and we hope he will continue this progress as we continue to build our team for the future."

The NTT team lost its title sponsor this year and has been unable to decide on a replacement for 2021. Giro d'Italia stage winner Ben O'Connor has also moved to AG2R La Mondiale and will become AG2R Citroen in 2021. In addition, Danish rider Michael Valgren will move to EF Pro Cycling.

A number of riders from the CCC team signed with new teams, with Total Direct Energy acquiring Spanish climber Victor de la Parte.

The 34-year-old Basque rider has been a valuable domestique throughout his career, winning stages of the Tour of Austria, Sibiu Tour, Flèche du Sud, and Tour of Portugal overall.

"I am very happy to be part of Total Direct Energy. I've always dreamed of having an adventure with a French team, so this is the perfect opportunity for me," de la Parte said.

Also moving to Total Direct Energie next year are Alexis Vuillermoz, Alexandre Jenyes, and Pierre Latour from AG2R and Fabien Dubay from Circus Wantigover.

"The Total Direct Energie team has everything we need to achieve good results. I am highly motivated and will fight to achieve my goals. For me the 2020 season is over. Now I am looking forward to racing with my new team in 2021."

Nippo Delco One Provence announced that it has signed 23-year-old mountain biker Clément Berthe as a neo-pro. The French rider will give up off-roading to compete full time with the Pro Continental team.

"I was doing very well in mountain biking, but I felt my future was not guaranteed and I was going in circles a bit," Berthe explained.

"First of all, I want to help the team as much as possible and learn. Adapting to the road world, race tactics, positioning, etc. I understand how much of a learning process this is and I'm ready to invest 100% in the team. It's a big change, but this new challenge will motivate me."

Manager Philippe Lanne said he found Berthe through the team's coach, who invited him to a training camp in the mountains and signed him to a two-year contract.

"It's important that he learns to work as a cyclist and be a good teammate," Lanne said. 'He has great qualities as a ruler and a climber. He has great qualities as a ruler and a climber.