Boom headlines Astana acquisitions

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The Dutchman won arguably the most dramatic stage of this year's Tour, taking line honours on stage five, which featured sections of cobblestones - or 'pave' - in driving rain; the same day Team Sky's Chris Froome crashed out of the race.

Astana announced on Friday that they have signed Boom from Belkin on a two-year contract starting in 2015, while Luis Leon Sanchez, Diego Rosa and Davide Malacarne will also join the Kazakhstan-based team next year.

"Boom is a classics rider as well as a grand tour team-mate, and won stage five this year at the Tour de France in conditions not seen on the pave in more than a decade," Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov said in a statement on the team's website.

"Malacarne and Rosa are strong Italian riders who can help Fabio Aru in stage races."

Sanchez will join from Caja Rural-Seguros, having previously raced with Boom at Belkin before being dropped due to accusations linking him with the Operacion Puerto doping case.

The four-time Spanish road time trial champion also finished in the top 10 of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in 2010.

Sanchez will be expected to provide significant support to recently-crowned Tour champion Vincenzo Nibali on future grand tours.

Rosa is racing for Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela this year, while Malacarne is at Europcar.

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