Gianetti announces new ProTour team

On Saturday, Mauro Gianetti, currently of the Scott American Beef team, issued a statement confirming the formation of a new professional cycling team which will race internationally as part of the UCI's ProTour.

"The main sponsor is an Italian company with international interests and subsidiaries in nine countries in Europe and the rest of the world," said Gianetti. "The Team Manager will be Alvaro Crespi, who already held this post in the MAPEI and Quick Step teams." Joxean Fernandez Matxin will serve as Director Sportif.

"In the coming days will convene a press conference to offer more details," he promised.

The news comes after doping scandals broke during 2008 for Gianetti's current team which was called Saunier Duval for the first half of the 2008 season. During the Tour de France, the team's Ricardo Riccò tested positive for EPO CERA and the entire squad withdrew from the event. Later teammate Leonardo Piepoli also tested positive for the same substance. Both riders won stages in the Tour de France before the team withdrew from the event and Saunier Duval withdrew from its sponsorship role.

Scott Bicycles and American Beef stepped up to see the team through the remainder of the 2008 season, but Scott previously announced its sponsorship would end with the calendar year.