Fausto Masnada will move up to WorldTour level in 2020 after he signed a two-year contract with CCC Team. The Italian has spent all his professional career at Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, and he has enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, capped by a stage victory on the Giro d’Italia.
"Moving up to a WorldTour team was my goal since the beginning of the season, so I am really happy to join CCC Team next year," Masnada said on Tuesday.
"The years I have spent in Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec helped me to grow professionally and obtain the necessary results to be noticed by a big team. To join CCC Team is my opportunity to reach the top level of cycling and I am ready and really excited for the new challenges that lie ahead."
A native of Bergamo, Masnada raced with Colpack as an amateur and won Il Piccolo Lombardia in 2015. After a spell as a stagiaire with Lampre the following year, he turned professional with Androni Giocattoli squad in 2017. He marked his debut season with third overall at the Tour of Turkey and claimed his first professional win when he took a stage and the overall at the 2018 Tour of Hainan.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable 2019 season. He placed third overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April before landing two stage wins and fifth place overall at the Tour of the Alps later that month.
Masnada carried that form into his second Giro d'Italia appearance, where his aggression was rewarded with victory on stage 6 into San Giovanni Rotondo. He would reach the finish in Verona in 20th place overall, before placing seventh at the following month's Tour of Slovenia.
"I think CCC Team is a good fit for me because I already know some of the team members like Marco Pinotti, Gabrielle Missaglia, and the Italian riders like Jakub Mareczko and Alessandro De Marchi," Masnada said. "All of the details and the organization of the team are really impressive."
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Masnada is the latest in a succession of Androni riders to graduate to WorldTour level after beginning their careers at Gianni Savio's team.
Tour de France winner Egan Bernal spent two seasons at Androni before moving to Team Sky (now Ineos) in 2018, while Iván Sosa followed the same path ahead of this season.
CCC manager Jim Ochowicz welcomed the arrival of Masnada, who is the fourth new arrival to be confirmed at the team for 2020 after fellow Italian Matteo Trentin, Grand Tour rider Ilnur Zakarin and neo-professional Georg Zimmermann.
"I think Fausto's performance at the Giro d'Italia, with his win on stage six and another two top-five results, as well as numerous aggressive displays in breakaways, was a sign of what we can expect from him next year against some of the best riders in the world," Ochowicz said.
"We are looking ahead to the 2020 season with a lot of excitement knowing that our roster has been strengthened with the addition of Fausto and the other riders we have already announced."
