Earlier today it was announced that Portuguese all-rounder Sergio Paulinho is joining Saxo Bank-SunGard, bolstering the team for the upcoming seasons.

The 31-year-old Grand Tour stage winner and Olympic silver medalist from the Athens Games has signed a two-year contract with the Denmark-based WorldTour team.

"Sergio is a fantastic signing for our team. He is versatile and a world class support rider. He brings a lot of experience, he knows how to position himself in the peloton and his tactical skills are great. He rides a solid TT and in peak form he is solid in the mountains as well. This combination will definitely be of great use for us, especially in the Grand Tours," Team Saxo Bank-SunGard owner Bjarne Riis told Roadcycling.com and Roadcycling.mobi.

"At the same time I also see him as a rider that can win races on his own. He was close to winning a stage in this year's Vuelta a Espana, and it speaks for itself, when you have stage victories in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta on your palmares," Riis added.

Sergio Paulinho joins Saxo Bank-SunGard from American Team RadioShack, which is now merging with Team Leopard-Trek after this season. Here the Portuguese rider collected the biggest win of his career so far - a stage 10 victory in the 2010 Tour de France. Before that, Paulinho was a teammate of Alberto Contador at Team Astana.

The signing comes after Team Saxo Bank-SunGard was highly criticized for the lack of support for team captain Contador in the 2011 Tour de France and the lack of structure and dedication within the Tour team in general.

"I am really happy and excited about joining Saxo Bank-SunGard. The team has always been a reference point for me personally and I'm excited to work with Bjarne Riis, a director I've always admired. It's an important step in my career and I'm looking forward to next season already," Sergio Paulinho said in a statement.