World road race champion Cadel Evans has joined the California-based BMC Racing Team on a three-year contract.
The 32-year-old Australian ended his five-year association with Belgian team Silence Lotto at the weekend.
Evans had been linked with Team Sky, the new multi-million pound British cycling team.
Team Sky principal David Brailsford is expected to finalise his rider line-up this week, with the squad still short of a major tour contender.
Evans has twice finished second in the Tour de France and won the world road race title in Switzerland at the end of September.
He will join several big name riders on the team, including the previous world champion Alessandro Ballan and American George Hincapie.
"This partnership will create mutually beneficial opportunities for both the current world champion as well as the BMC Racing Team," a BMC statement said.
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