A month after the Geox TMC management admitted defeat in their search for a new backer, the Androni Giocattoli team has announced the signing of a contract with Venezuela, the country which had been in negotiations with the Spanish squad.
The new deal has been announced in Caracas by the president of the Venezuelan cycling federation, Artemio Leonett, Venezuela Olympic committee president Eduardo Alvarez and Androni team manager Gianni Savio. The team will now be known as Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela.
The squad already contains prominent Venezuelan riders such as Jose Rujano, stage winner and seventh overall in the 2011 Giro d’Italia, Tour de Langakwi 2011 winner Yonnatta Monsalve, Carlos Ochoa and Jackson Rodriguez.
The new deal sees two more riders signed from the South American country, namely the national champion Miguel Ubeto, who also won the 2011 UCI America Tour, and the 2010 Vuelta Venezuela winner Tomas Gil.
The squad was recently confirmed as receiving a wildcard invite to the Giro d’Italia which, as ever, will be the main season goal for the team. Rujano returned to strong form last season and Savio is hoping that he can step it up a notch again and fight for overall victory in the race.
The team was also given an invite to RCS Sport’s end of season Classic, Il Lombardia.
Meanwhile Savio’s position at the head of the Venezuela national squad has been extended to the Olympic Games in London plus the world road race championships in Limburg, the Netherlands.