The Polti VisitMalta team is close to securing private equity investment that will help secure the team's long-term future and raise the team's budget and ambitions.
An increased budget would help Polti VisitMalta fight with Tudor Pro Cycling, Q36.5, TotalEnergies and other ProTeams for automatic wild card invitations to WorldTour races.
Cyclingnews and La Gazzetta dello Sport understand that the private equity investment would involve the ProTeam and the Aurum bike brand. Both are owned and managed by Alberto and Francisco Contador and Ivan Basso. The investors would take a significant share with Contador brothers and Basso continue to manage the team and Aurum.
Ivan Basso refused to comment when contacted by Cyclingnews but has been actively seeking further funding for the Polti VisitMalta team as the cost of running a professional cycling team increases year on year. Polti returned to cycling as a title sponsor in 2024 and this year VisitMalta has replaced Kometa this year.
Cycling has attracted a series of high-profile sponsors in recent years, including Decathlon, Red Bull and Lidl. Red Bull bought a 51% controlling stake in the team but kept Ralph Denk on board as team manager. Other major companies have also taken direct control of teams, replacing the traditional figure of team owner and manager.
A $300 million private equity investment from Saudi Arabia is expected to fund the One Cycling project that will see leading teams, some race organisers and the UCI work together to shake-up pro cycling and increase revenue.
Team Polti VisitMalta is an Italian-registered ProTeam and is part of the Fundación Contador that includes the professional and Junior teams. The project and the Aurum bike brand were created by the Contador brothers when Alberto Contador retired, with Basso joining them after helping to secure key sponsorship from Eolo and Kometa.
The Proteam has won two stages at the Giro d'Italia in 2023 and 2021 and secured a wild card invitation to the Corsa Rosa every year since 2021. This year's 20-rider roster includes Italian talents Giovanni Lonardi, Davide Piganzoli and Ludovico Crescioli.
