ROME: Italian Giulio Ciccone has signed a three-year contract with Pinarello Q36.5, the Swiss team said on Monday, after the 31-year-old mutually parted ways with Lidl-Trek after eight seasons.

Ciccone`s last race in the LidlTrek colours ended with a third-placed finish in Saturday`s Giro di Lombardia, after the team announced his departure on the eve of the race despite still having three years left on his contract.

`After eight years with the same team, this is a big decision, but one I genuinely wanted tomake,` Ciccone said in a Pinarello Q36.5 statement.

`I feel I still have a lot to give, and I needed a new challenge, fresh motivation and an environment where I could feel at home.

The climbing specialist, who has won the mountains classification at both the Tour deFrance and Giro d`Italia, will link up with British rider Tom Pidcock at Pinarello.

`I`ve always admired him, not only because of his talent, but because he`s a rider who thinks differently and isn`t afraid to do things his own way,` Ciccone said.-Reuters