Colombian leaves team run by Gianni Savio after seven years
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Two good: Jose Serpa (Androni Giocattoli) wins the tour again and can now look ahead to an assault on the Giro d'Italia in May.(Image credit: Shane Goss)
Jose Serpa (Androni-Venezuela) makes some late adjustments.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jose Serpa (Androni-Venezuela) sitting pretty on top of the standings at Le Tour de Langkawi.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
José Serpa will change teams in 2013, leaving his current Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela team to join Lampre-ISD, according to L'Equipe. It will be the first time the Colombian has moved since turning professional seven years ago. Serpa signed for the Selle Italia - Serramenti Diquigiovanni team run by Gianni Savio back in 2006 and has remained with the various incarnations ever since.
The 33-year-old will ride alongside last year’s Giro d’Italia winner - following Alberto Contador’s stripped title - Michele Scarponi. Serpa has enjoyed a mixed season this year. He won two stages on his way to a second overall victory at Tour de Langkawi in early March before heading to the Giro with ambitions to finish high on the general classification.
A fall early in the race ended his top-10 hopes however, he was still able to finish the race, albeit down in 87th by the time the race reached Milan. Serpa will no doubt play a pivotal role next year in assisting his new teammate Scarponi to really win a second Giro.
"I’m very happy, I have reached the pinnacle of world cycling. I had already worked with Scarponi and he wanted to integrate me onto his squad. Things turned out to be on this team. The aspiration of every cyclist is to join the best team in the world. I have always tried to do the best things and this is an achievement in my career," he told Ciclismo de Colombia.
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