Cinelli team presentation with one professional

The team Cinelli-Down Under was presented in Belgium on Thursday and it has one professional rider – Bert Roesems. The other 14 members, including Frank Vandenbroucke, have not yet received a professional contract.

Sports manager of the team is former professional rider Nico Mattan, the team's general manager is Gilbert de Weerdt. The budget is small with only 550,000 euro and De Weerdt explained the contract situation to Sportwereld. "Through Roesems many years of services as a pro we were required to give him a professional contract." Roesems turned professional in 1997 and was riding for Lotto between 2005 and 2008.

Vandenbroucke still lives in Italy. "VDB has still some logistical problems," De Weerdt said. "He will have to wait to become a professional. We are also in negotiations with other sponsors, so hopefully we can give a few other riders some contracts." If Vandenbroucke's status does not change he will not be able to ride the Belgian Championships in Aywaille on June 28.

The team is an international mix of riders. There four Belgians (Bert Roesems, Frank Vandenbroucke, Peter Ronsse, Sven De Weerdt), seven Australians (Michael Fitzgerald, Daniel Furmston, Mark Jamieson, Nick Mitchell, Tommy Nankervis, Nicholas Walker and Christopher James D'Amelio), the British riders Matt Green and Tom Snape, the New Zealander Logan Dennis Hutchings and Wade Wolfenbarger from the USA.