World champion Peter Sagan will race for ambitious German team Bora-Hansgrohe next season as they make the move to the WorldTour level.
The 26-year-old Slovakian, who won the points leader's green jersey for a fifth straight year in last month's Tour de France, won the World Road Race Championships in Richmond, Virginia last year and will hope to defend his crown in Doha, Qatar with his current employers before switching teams.
Sagan's move to the German squad -- on a three-year contract -- has been rumoured for a month, following the announcement that his current employers Tinkoff would be closing their doors at the end of the season as Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov withdraws his backing.
Sagan's Tinkoff teammates Maciej Bodnar, Michael Kolar and Erik Baska, and his brother Juraj, are also moving to Bora-Hansgrohe, whose team manager Ralph Denk said: "It is a great honour to welcome one of the most popular cyclists of our time into our team.
"That's why we tried to provide familiar surroundings as far as possible. I think Peter's trust in us proves that we did a good job in recent years and have a solid reputation in the peloton.
"Our partners Bora and Hansgrohe are also two big, German, quality brands. This combination convinced Peter that we are the right team for him and his chase for even more success in the coming years. I am very happy and certain that this partnership will be a successful one."
Denk admitted Sagan has been recruited for his experience in the classics, which include Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
"My goal is a well-balanced roster for the 2017 season," Denk added. "With Peter the classics will be a big highlight for us. But we also want to play a role in the grand tours, therefore we are still looking for new signings."
Zilina-born Sagan currently leads the WorldTour rankings ahead of Nairo Quintana and Britain's Tour de France-winner Chris Froome.