Katusha Team will be also present in the peloton for the two next year according to the team boss Viatcheslav Ekimov. The former rider told to Cyclingnews he had a verbal agreement with his title sponsor and has already re-signed a number of key riders, including Norwegian Alexander Kristoff.

About Joaquim Rodriguez, who won the Tour de France stage 3, nothing is signed. But Ekimov also confirmed that Purito is likely to stay for one additional season with salary terms yet to be agreed.

« Were still working on it. They aren’t easy times but we are working on bringing in additional sponsors very soon, maybe even before the end of the Tour de France", Ekimov told Cyclingnews. "Katusha will remain the title sponsor for the next few years. We’re having good conversations with them and we have verbal agreement but there’s still something to be put on the paper, drafted and signed. Then on top of that we’re looking for additional sponsor, and they might already be associated with the Katusha project."

Some details of the contract are still under negotiation for the Spanish rider. "With Purito we’re still at a good point and we’re talking. We have an agreement on some parts of the deal but we just have to work on some other parts of the contracts. He will sign and it will be a one-year deal. We just have to agree salary terms and a few small things."

Some rumors announced that Katusha will sign Rigoberto Uran and Richie Porte. But according to Ekimov, Katusha wants to rejuvenate the team. "We’re looking at a few young guys, up to three neo-pros. Dani is out of contract and we’re not talking to him. It probably depends but I think Moreno should try somewhere else if he wants to continue."