Italian steps down from WorldTour level after two years with Bora-Hansgrohe
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Matteo Pelucchi with Androni Giocattoli team manager Gianni Savio(Image credit: Androni Giocattoli)
Matteo Pelucchi (Bora-Hansgrohe) on the podium with Giovanni Lombardi who was in Australia only a matter of days ago(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) wins stage 2 of the Tour of Poland(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matteo Pelucchi (Bora - Hansgrohe)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Most teams have completed their line-ups for 2019 and registered riders with the UCI. However, a number of riders remain without a place after the demise of several high-profile teams and reduction in roster sizes.
Pelucchi, 29, joins Gianni Savio's Professional Continental team after two seasons at Bora-Hansgrohe where he scored a series of solid placings in sprints but failed to win. Bora-Hansgrohe can count on Peter Sagan, Sam Bennett and Pascal Ackermann for sprint finishes and have also signed Max Schachmann, Oscar Gatto and Jempy Drucker.
Pelucchi won two stages at the 2015 Tour de Pologne, a stage at the 2014 Tirreno-Adriatico, and will hope to get his career back on track by stepping down a level. He won a stage at the Okolo Slovenska stage race in September, beating Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Floors).
Androni Giocattoli won the Italian Ciclismo Cup classification and secured an automatic wildcard invitation to the 2019 Giro d'Italia. Ivan Sosa is expected to join Team Sky for 2019 and Davide Ballerini has joined Astana, but Savio has signed Matteo Montaguti (from AG2R La Mondiale), Matteo Busato and Colombia’s Miguel Florez from Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia.
Manuel Belletti, Francesco Gavazzi, Kevin Rivera and Rodolfo Torres are amongst those staying with Androni Giocattoli for 2019.
"Matteo is a good rider and serious professional, who as well as looking for wins, can also share his WorldTour experience with our relatively young squad for 2019," Savio said after Pelucchi signed his contract.
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Pelucchi could make is debut in the sponsor-covered red and white Androni Giocattoli jersey at the Tropicale Amissa Bongo stage race in Gabo, Africa, in late January.
