Italian team promises new internal rules after doping cases
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Oscar Gatto (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) celebrates winning the sprint(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Danilo Di Luca was a late addition to the Vini Fantini team(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matteo Rabottini (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) won the mountains classification at the 2012 Giro(Image credit: Sirotti)
Italian team manager Angelo Citracca and directeur sportif Luca Scinto have promised to introduce new internal rules and better openness after managing to create a Professional Continental team for 2014 despite the loss of Vini Fantini as a title sponsor and the doping scandals involving Mauro Santambrogio and Danilo Di Luca at the Giro d’Italia.
The team has been registered as Yellow Fluo but could change names if negotiations with a potential title sponsor are successful.
With Oscar Gatto moving to Cannondale, the team will have 2012 Giro d’Italia stage winner and climber’s jersey winner Matteo Rabottini as team leader. New signings include Simone Ponzi from Astana. Daniele Colli, Mauro Finetto and Rafael Andriato also stay on from the 2013 team, with other riders and neo-pros completing the roster.
Santambrogio and Di Luca both tested positive for EPO during the Giro d’Italia. Santambrogio has yet to be sanctioned after doubts about his B sample. Italian anti-doping investigators have requested Di Luca receives a life ban when he finally faces a disciplinary hearing.
The Yellow Fluo team will be sponsored by Cipollini bikes and the new clothing brand Alé, Usus wheels, Selle Italia and pickled food brand Neri Sottoli from Tuscany. The team colours are expected to again be fluorescent yellow, hence the team name of Yellow Fluo.
The EPO positives of Santambrogio and Di Luca have rocked the credibility of the team and damaged the chances of Yellow Fluo securing a wild card invitation to the Giro d’Italia and other major races.
In a press release, the team said it would honour any race that the team is invited to and promised never before seen transparency in attempt to avoid further doping scandals. However there were no details of exactly what the team will do.
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“We’ll begin a process of public openness concerning the huge work done by the team management to supervise and control the riders. There will be new internal rules and openness that has never been done before,” the press release reads.
Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
