Team Christina Watches says final paperwork is done

Image 1 of 2

Team Christina Watches continues to take form, with the last bit of paperwork for the licence already sent off to the International Cycling Union. The team is also looking at the possibilities of further signings, sport director Michael Blaudzun has told Cyclingnews.

The team has taken over the licence from Bianchi M1 which is still listed on the UCI website. However, that will change soon, according to Blaudzun.

“At the moment the change of name from Bianchi M1 to Christina Watches is in process, and we expect pretty soon to listed as Christina Watches on the UCI site. All the forms, etc., have been sent, and that should just be a matter of time,” he said Monday morning.

In addition, the team may expand beyond the previously-announced 14 riders “Right now we are 14 riders, all Danish. In the near future we will look at the possibilities of eventually signing one or two more,” Blaudzun said.

He confirmed to Cyclingnews that one of those riders may be Angelo Furlan. “It's too early to say at the moment, but we are in contact with him.”

Furlan told Ekstra Bladet that he was in contact with Blaudzun. “His team is only a small team, but for me it is important to keep my career up and running races. I can do very well on a small team. I can help Michael,” he said.

The 33-year-old rode the last two years for Lampre, and finished second in the 2010 Paris-Tours. He was not given a new contract for the current season.

However, main sponsor Christina Hembo says further signings depend on whether the team is invited to the Tour of Denmark.

“Michael Blaudzun tells me that Furlan will be a dream rider who can supply many victories,” she said to Ekstra Bladet.

“But there is great uncertainty about whether we will be allowed to be at the start of the Tour of Denmark, and before we know if we get a fair chance to run the race or not, I think that 14 riders are enough.”