Gasparotto abandons Barloworld

Enrico Gasparotto will ride the 2009 season for Italian squad Lampre, according to Belgian new site Sporza. The sprinter, who currently rides for the squad-formerly-known-as-Barloworld, has signed a two year deal with the Italian team.

The 26 year-old will be joined by Mauro Da Dalto, who is leaving Lampre's rival Italian ProTour squad Liquigas. Gasparotto was second in this year's Tirreno-Adriatico and third in the Driedaagse van de Panne, where he also won a stage.

In 2005 Gasparotto was crowned the Italian champion and in 2007, while riding for Liquigas, he was part of the team which won the team time trial at the Giro d'Italia.

Barloworld announced that it would stop the sponsorship of the Professional Continental team at the conclusion of the Tour de France. The team will continue through until the end of the season, but without the Barloworld name on its jerseys.

Barloworld's withdrawal from cycling sponsorship follows a non-negative test by one of its riders at the Tour de France. Moisés Dueñas was one of four riders to return non-negative anti-doping samples at the French Grand Tour. Saunier Duval also withdrew its sponsorship of the Saunier Duval-Scott squad immediately after star rider Riccardo Riccò registered the third non-negative of the Tour.