Farnese Vini-Selle Italia - which will become Vini Fantini-Selle Italia next year - has announced the signing of Jonathan Monsalve on a two-year contract. The 23-year-old Venezuelan, who won the 2011 edition of the Tour of Langkawi - including the prestigious stage to Genting Highlands - has spent the last two years riding for Italian team Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, and the ‘giallo-flou’ team is expecting him to take the next step in his development.
“Jonathan is a young rider with a high potential, ready to grow in a good team who will put attention on his performance,” explained Farnese Vini-Selle Italia team manager Luca Scinto, “since he is a really strong grimpeur and a good rider of middle mountain stages.
“For this, with [general manager] Angelo Citracca, we decided to complete a two-year contract with him, in this way he can have the right time to grow. Anyway, I'm sure that with him, in the Giro d’Italia - if we will receive the invitation - we could do something special during the mountain stages.”
Monsalve comes in as a replacement for a number of riders that are leaving Farnese Vini-Selle Italia, including former Italian champion Filippo Pozzato and Elia Favilli - who are leaving for Lampre-Merida - and Giro stage winning Italian sprint prodigy Andrea Guardini - who will be at Astana in 2013.
The team has also recruited Francesco Chicchi from Omega Pharma-Quick Step - who will be a direct replacement for Guardini - Fabio Taborre from the folding Acqua & Sapone team, and former Liquigas-Cannondale rider Mauro Finetto, who returns to the top of the sport after a year away, as well as a number of young neo-pros.