RICHIE Porte has signed for Trek-Segafredo following the merger of his current BMC team with Polish pro-continental team CCC Sprandi Polkowice.

The 33-year-old Australian, seen as a contender for a Grand Tour win, will race the Vuelta a Espana which begins in Malaga on Saturday in BMC colours.

But for 2019 Porte, who crashed out of this year's Tour de France on stage nine, has signed a two year contract with Trek-Sagfredo.

The 2013 and 2015 Paris-Nice winner said: "I am thrilled to finally confirm that I will join Trek-Segafredo in 2019. I am particularly looking forward to focusing on more races throughout the year.

"Of course, the Tour de France will still be a huge goal for me, and I am excited to go there to race with a super strong team alongside me, but I will also aim for one-week stage races, like the ones I have won before, and the ones I have never raced. Honestly, I am really excited to start this new chapter in my career - I can't wait.

"I had a great time at BMC Racing Team, and I want to thank them for the past three years, but I feel ready to take on another challenge, which I am certain I will find at Trek-Segafredo."

Porte had been rumoured to be joining Trek during the summer and has been joined in the BMC exodus by other members of the United Sates-based team including Rohan Dennis, who has joined Bahrain-Merida, and Tejay van Garderen who has a place at EF Education First-Drapac.