Spanish ProTour team Footon-Servetto announced today it signed five riders under 27 years old and Italian Giampaolo Cheula, 30, for 2010. The new additions come two days after the team's announcement of seven new riders.
New riders • Brit Tom Faiers (Camargo elite2), 22 • Italian Giampaolo Cheula (Barloworld), 30 • Spaniard Pedro Merino (trainee for Fuji-Servetto), 22 • Spaniard Enrique Mata Cabello (Burgos Monumental - Castilla y Leon), 24 • Austrian Markus Eibegger (Elk Haus), 26 • Austrian Matthias Brandle (Elk Haus), 20
Brit Faiers leaves the Camargo amateur squad and jumps to a top-level team. Director Sportif Joxean Fernández Matxin spotted his talent at amateur races in Spain.
Cheula became a professional in 2001 with Mapei. Last year, he won the GP Nobili Rubinetterie with team Barloworld.
The team promoted Merino, who won the Under 23 national championship this year riding in its feeder team. Compatriot Mata is a sprinter and finished second in the Vuelta a Burgos stage one this year behind Koldo Fernández.
Eibegger is the national road and mountain bike champion. He leaves team Elk Haus with Austrian Brandle, who is the national time trial champion.
The team announced on October 20 that Footon would replace Fuji as its title sponsor. Gianetti started the team in 2004 as Saunier Duval, but he had to find a new sponsor after the doping positives of Riccardo Riccò and Leonardo Piepoli at the 2007 Tour de France.
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