Jumbo Visma has signed teenager and first-year junior Jørgen Nordhagen to a multi-year contract as it continues to invest in its young riders and develop them for the long-term future.

The 17-year-old Norwegian rider, who combines racing and cross-country skiing, has impressed at the junior level this season and will move to the Jumbo Visma development team in 2024 and compete on the World Tour in 2025 on a three-year contract.

Jumbo-Visma is one of several teams that sign talented junior riders and help them turn pro while they are still teenagers. Juan Ayuso joined UAE Team Emirates as a junior, and American Quinn Simmons won the junior world title in 2019. Remco Evenpoel famously joined Quick Step at age 18 after winning both the junior time trial and road race world titles in 2018.

This year, Nordhagen finished second in the GP Ljubljand stage race and the European Championships junior road race, and third in the Course de la Paix and the LVM Saarlandt Trofeo.

He is the Norwegian junior time trial champion and also holds two national cross-country skiing titles.

Nordhagen may not join Jumbo-Visma for another three seasons, but the WorldTour team, which aims to replicate its success in the Tour de France and Classics, has already signed a number of deals for 2023.

Wilco Kelderman joins from Bora-Hansgrohe to strengthen the GC team with Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Victorias) and Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ), while Dylan van Baare (Ineos Grenadiers) strengthens the Classic team, while neo-pro athlete Thomas Gloag is expected to be a future stage race contender.

Nordhagen is the latest long-term signing for Jumbo-Visma, while fellow Norwegian Johannes Staunet-Mitte is set to step up to the World Tour level in 2024, and Ireland's Archie Ryan will be looking for success in 2022 and a Tour of Slovakia, will take a leading role in the Jumbo-Visma development team in 2023 after a professional victory at the Tour of Slovakia.

"Here I will have the time and room to grow as a person and become a professional rider," Nordhagen said.

"It's always been a dream of mine and in a few years it will come true. I'm really looking forward to it. I have already decided to move to Jumbo Visma after my junior season so I can continue to grow peacefully and focus on my sporting goals."

"From first impressions, the team and I have the same mindset, so I think we will make a strong match. It is also good to meet my compatriots Tobias Foss, Per Strand Hagenes, and Johannes Staune Mittet. I've heard positive things about the team from them."

Nordhagen said he will continue to combine cycling and skiing and hopes to do both for as long as possible.

"I will continue to combine cycling and cross-country skiing in the coming seasons. I want to continue this combination for as long as possible. It's a great workout to help strengthen and develop my entire physique."

Roberto de Groot, head of development for Jumbo Visma, said Nordhagen is an "exceptional talent" and that the team can offer "tailor-made solutions" for his development next season.

"The fact that we are on such a trajectory with such a young rider is very special. Jorgen has extraordinary talent. He is a very driven boy and seeks out training programs where he feels he can improve.

"Knowing already where his future lies allows him to focus on training, competing, and growing. We feel he will be a perfect fit for us. To achieve full growth, we will set him on this long-term path. We are firm in that belief. Our collaboration with Jørgen is also perfect

"We are looking for the optimal balance between training and competitive development. By having the development team and the World Tour team working together, we are able to provide tailor-made solutions to our talented athletes over a long period of time.".