Lampre-Farnese Vini pressing ahead despite uncertainty

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Giuseppe Saronni’s Lampre-Farnese Vini has shown it’s moving ahead with its 2010 plans by holding the team’s launch. The Italian squad will start its season with a temporary ProTour license while it attempts to satisfy the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) requirements.

The UCI’s License Commission granted the temporary ProTour license, which is valid until March 31, on January 25. The license came after the year’s first ProTour race, Tour Down Under, had already commenced and so the team has already missed one round of the series.

The commission rejected the team's license last fall after auditors noted "serious administrative non-compliances" in its application.

Lampre contested its first race of the season, Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria-Challenge Calabria, last week in Italy. The team claimed its first victories of 2010 with Alessandro Petacchi winning two stages while Daniele Pietropolli finished third overall.

Should the squad not meet the UCI’s demands by March 31 it could cease to exist. UCI president Pat McQuaid revealed at Tour Down Under the team will not be granted a Professional Continental license if it fails to meet the ProTour requirements, as it’s now had ample time to get its affairs in order.

Click here to see the launch gallery.

Lampre-Farnese Vini 2010 roster: Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita), Grega Bole (Slo), Matteo Bono (Ita), Vitaliy Buts (Ukr), Damiano Cunego (Ita), Mauro Da Dalto (Ita), Angelo Furlan (Ita), Francesco Gavazzi (Ita), Andrea Grendene (Ita), Danilo Hondo (Ger), David Loosli (Swi), Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita), Marco Marzano (Ita), Manuele Mori (Ita), Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Daniele Pietropolli (Ita), Daniele Righi (Ita), Marcin Sapa (Pol), Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita), Simon Spilak (Slo), Alfredo Balloni (Ita), Enrico Magazzini (Ita), Simone Ponzi (Ita) and Diego Ulissi (Ita).