Selle Italia wants ProTour

After Venezuelan climber Jose' Rujano stormed the Giro d'Italia podium last week, the question everyone was asking was, how could Selle Italia-Colombia, a Continental pro team, hope to hang on to a rider who was bound to attract offers from ProTour squads?

The team's answer is simple: become a ProTour squad. To that end, Selle Italia-Colombia has announced that it has applied to the UCI to be issued a ProTour license.

According to a team announcement, the application is part of a larger plan for the team which will allow it to build a strong team around Rujano for stage races, and put an Italian rider at the helm for one-day races.