Fuji-Servetto signs new title sponsor

The Spanish team Fuji-Servetto will become Footon-Servetto for 2010 after signing a title sponsorship deal with the Swiss company which specializes in making healthcare products such as insoles.

The team announced Tuesday that it had submitted its documentation to the UCI for inclusion into the ProTour within the deadline for licensing.

The team has been actively seeking an additional sponsor this year. The squad grew out of the former Saunier Duval team which lost its title sponsor due to the doping scandals during and after the 2008 Tour de France involving Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli.

The cases led to the team being excluded from this year's Tour de France and forced it to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn exclusions from the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana as well as Milano-Sanremo and Tirreno-Adriatico.

Its woes continued this year after Riccardo Serrano was first suspended by the team for having abnormal biological passport blood values, then found positive for CERA.

Despite the problems, bicycle maker Fuji will continue its support of the team, as will Servetto and Cantabria Infinita.

The additional backer will allow the squad to formalize its 2010 roster, and a press release stated that a full list of riders for next season will be forthcoming.

A number of riders have already left the team. Paolo Bailetti departed for Ceramica Flaminia, David De La Fuente is rumoured to be heading to Astana, Fredrik Kessiakoff signed with Garmin, and Davide Vigano contracted with Team Sky.

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