T-Mobile and Pinotti renew for two years

By Gregor Brown

Marco Pinotti has signed off on a two year renewal with Germany-based Team T-Mobile. The contract renewal of the 31 year-old Italian who held the 2007 Giro d'Italia's Maglia Rosa for four stages continues the agreement with the team that was started at the end of the 2006 season.

"I've renewed with T-Mobile for two years," Pinotti confirmed on Wednesday to Cyclingnews. He has just come off of riding the Deutschland Tour and the Hamburg Cyclassics, building towards the Track Italian Championship for the individual pursuit.

"I haven't looked for other teams as I believe I could not find a better environment and ground to develop, and [to] go on with the values of a fair and clean sport." He came in second in the Giro's stage to Spoleto following an escape with Luis Felipe Laverde (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare). The gained time on that stage gave him the race lead that he went on to defend until the mountain-top finish on the Santuario Nostra Signora Della Guardia. "I am happy the way my season is going," he continued modestly.

The next big road appointment on the schedule of 'Ingegnere Pinotti' is the GP Plouay on September 2, however, in the meantime he hopes to have news of another victory. "I still have to race in Plouay and then Poland; in the upcoming days I hope to receive some news about the Italian Championship TT that I 'virtually' won if the positive case of Ascani is confirmed." Luca Ascani (Aurum Hotels) won the race on June 26 in Novi Ligure but later tested positive for EPO and the confirmed results should give Pinotti his second title in the event, his first was taken in 2005.

The time trial at the World Championships in Stuttgart will be next on Pinotti's schedule and due to his sponsor's base there is an extra motivation. "There are also the World Championship that I'd like to race; first because they take place in Germany and also after having some good time trials ... in Denmark and D-Tour."