Image 1 of 3 Dominik Nerz (BMC) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 3 Dominik Nerz (BMC) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 3 of 3 Dominik Nerz (BMC) was nearly three minutes down by the finish (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Dominik Nerz will join Team Bora (currently NetApp-Endura) for two years, the team announced on Monday. The German will lead the team in “demanding stage races and the Grand Tours.”

The 25-year-old finished 18th in the recent Vuelta a España, and 14th last year. He is “skilled in both climbing and time trials,” the team said. “In the past, his skills have been applied to support his captain. Now he will take on the leadership role himself.”

“I’ll be given the trust to utilize my full potential, and to take on the role as a captain for the key stage races,”’ Nerz said. “What’s more, I’ll be able to do this in a German team. There’s something very special about being there from the very beginning with the team’s reorientation and to grow along. Germany is getting interested in cycling again, and with this team we're making the right step forward.”

Team manager Ralph Denk called Nerz a “dream candidate for our new team. He is Germany’s best GC rider, has his most successful years still ahead of him and he’s ready for a leadership role. This makes him perfect for what we need.”

This marks Nerz’s return to a German team. After starting his pro career with Milram in 2010, he rode two years each with Liquigas-Cannondale and BMC.

Sponsorship for NetApp will be taken over for the next five years by Bora. There will also be a second name sponsor in 2015, believed to be Canadian bike manufacturer Argon 18, although the team has not officially announced it.