With the Tour de France rapidly approaching, Team Barloworld is already looking ahead to the 2009 season. Planning for the future, Manager Claudio Corti forged an agreement with Geraint Thomas, Steven Cummings and Francesco Bellotti for next year. Mauricio Soler, whose contract also ends this year, has already reached an accord to remain with the squad.
The two British riders are both successful track riders and have proved to be excellent team players. Cummings won a stage at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, while Thomas won the world title in the team pursuit at the World Track championships. Bellotti, who suffered the misfortune of quitting the Giro d'Italia after breaking his elbow in the race, has proved his worth to the team, especially in hilly races.
