Team claims rider abandoned the team and therefore cancelled his contract
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Jose Guillen Rujano (Androni Giocattoli)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Jose Rujano will be the team's general classification hope at the Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team)
Returning Vacansoleil-DCM rider Rob Ruijgh along with new signings Jose Rujano and Juan Antonio Flecha are introduced at the team presentation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jose Rujano and his former team Androni-Giacattoli are locked in a battle over money. The Venezuelan rider claims he is owed 135,000 Euros by team manager Gianni Savio, who in turn says Rujano violated his contract with the team.
Rujano, now riding for Vacansoleil-DCM, was with Salvo's team in 2011 and 2012. Last year he abandoned the Giro d'Italia and did not ride again. His contract was canceled as of August 31.
Savio told the Lider newspaper that his organization “will not give him a single euro more, because he canceled everything, even breaching his contract in May last year.”
Savio did not believe that. “We all know what Rujano did, and his teammates also. He claimed to have mononucleosis at the Giro d'Italia in 2012 and left the race. That health problem was false. We gave him a chance to return to the team after that and he did not. We sent five letters and he never responded to the calls. In other words, he presented serious discipline problems.”
The manager continued, “All the fees were paid.” The team cancelled the contract, and the UCI confirmed that action. He indicated he might sue Rujano for slander and libel.
Rujano has since signed with Vacansoleil-DCM for 2013.
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