Two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner Enrico Battaglin will lead the Italian national team at the upcoming UCI 2.1 Tour de San Luis from January 19-25 in Argentina.
Battaglin, who normally races with the Bardiani-CSF team, will join his fellow countrymen Davide Ballerini (Unieuro Wilier Trevigiani) along with Southeast Pro Cycling Team riders Mauro Finetto, Lian Bertazzo and Jakub Mareczko. Italian national team coach Davide Cassani will direct the team in San Luis.
“To wear the Italian jersey is always a big honour and thanks to coach Davide Cassani, who selected me. It’s my first time in Argentina, so I’m pretty curious to race this event. My goal is to come back home with better condition, which is already good. For this reason, if there will be the chance, I’ll try to test myself. Otherwise, I’m ready to support my Italian teammates.”
Following the Tour de San Luis, Battaglin will rejoin his Bardiani-CSF teammates for the Dubai Tour (February 4-7) and the Tour of Qatar (February 8-13).
Synergy Baku Cycling Project train in Calpe
The Synergy Baku Cycling Project will prepare for the start of the upcoming season at a 12-day training camp in Calpe, Spain. The team’s season will open at the GP Laguna 1.2 in Croatia on February 15. The Azerbaijan Continental team will then head to Asia for the Tour de Langkawi (March 8-15) and the Tour de Taiwan (March 22-26).
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“We are looking forward to a big year and I am sure that the riders are as highly motivated as the staff,” said team manager David McQuaid. “Our goals in 2015 are to bring in more wins, help the young Azeri riders to develop and to qualify Azerbaijan for the 2015 Rio Olympics.”
Chevrier gets a shot at first full season on the WorldTour
Former Bissell Development Team rider Clément Chevrier will start his first full season on the WorldTour with IAM Cycling in 2015. The 22-year-old rider from France signed a two-year contract with the Swiss team that will take him through the end of 2016.
Chevrier spent the 2014 season racing with Axel Merckx’s American-based Continental team Bissell Development. His top results were in the youth categories with a third-pace finish at the Tour of the Gila, fourth at both the Tour of California and the Tour des Pays de Savoie, second at the Tour of Utah and he won the youth classification at the USA Pro Challenge.
He landed a trainee position on Trek Factory Racing in August and got his first experience racing with a WorldTour team, however, he did not continue with the team in 2015. Instead, he signed with IAM Cycling, which received a new WorldTour licence starting this year.
IAM Cycling’s 2015 line-up includes Marcel Aregger, Matthias Brändle, Sylvain Chavanel, Stefan Denifl, Martin Elmiger, Sondre Holst Enger, Mathias Frank, Jonathan Fumeaux, Heinrich Haussler, Reto Hollenstein, Roger Kluge, Pirmin Lang, Matteo Pelucchi, Jérome Pineau, Sebastien Reichenbach, Vicente Reynes, Aleksejs Saramotins, Patrick Schelling, Marcel Wyss.
The team’s new signings also include Stef Clement and David Tanner (Belkin), Dries Devenyns (Giant-Shimano), Jonas Van Genechten (Lotto-Belisol), Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Larry Warbasse (BMC), Jarlinson Pantano (Team Colombia), Jérome Coppel (Cofidis) and Simon Pellaud (Stagiare).
Bigla unveils new team kit for 2015
The Bigla Pro Cycling team have unveiled their new jersey, made by Castelli, to be worn during the 2015 season. The new look continues with the team’s blue and white theme, but this year the jersey highlights the team’s title sponsor in a blue band across the chest and down the sides.
"When we started working on the design and the corporate identity of the team, we considered our objectives in the sport," said the team’s General Manager Thomas Campana. ”We want to be one of the most competitive teams on the circuit and to reach success your objectives have to be clear and uncluttered. You'll find a clean look throughout the team design from the kit to cars and our marketing material."
Bigla Pro Cycling team roster includes Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), Shelley Olds (USA), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA), Iris Slappendel (NED), Vera Koedooder (NED), Lotta Lepistö (FIN), Sharon Laws (GBR), Doris Schweizer (SUI), Joëlle Numainville (CAN), Lisa Klein (GER), Clara Koppenburg (GER), Emilie Aubry (SUI), Nicole Hanselmann (SUI) and Caroline Baur (SUI).
