Ricardo Paulo Reis Marinheiro (Portugal)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Ricardo Marinheiro (Portugal) leads early in the race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Cross country racer Ricardo Marinheiro signed a three-year contract with the Italian TX Active Bianchi team, effective in 2010. Marinheiro finished second behind Italy's Gerhard Kerschbaumer in the junior cross country race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia.
Marinheiro, who hails from Portugal, will join Under 23 rider Cristian Cominelli and elites Stephane Tempier, Leonardo Paez and Julio Caro as part of the team run by Massimo Ghirotto.
"The choice to introduce a good, young rider to the team is consistent with our team's policies," said team president Felice Gimondi. "We are relying on young rider for a three-year project that looks toward the London Olympic Games."
"In the next few weeks, we'll announce more signings," he promised.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
