Pinotti set to join Hushovd at BMC Racing

Italian Marco Pinotti will race for BMC Racing next year, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.



He will join Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, new recruit and World Champion, Thor Hushovd, and quiet possibly Philippe Gilbert.

"I would have liked to go to GreenEdge," Pinotti told Cycling Weekly last week, "but it didn't work out."

After holding the leader's pink jersey for one day, Pinotti crashed at the Giro d'Italia and fractured part of his hip. He recently returned to the road to train and will take aim at one of the late-season races, maybe the Tour of Beijing.

GreenEdge adds to its roster

GreenEdge's General Manager Shayne Bannan announced today that Simon Gerrans will join the team for 2012. His UCI points, and those of the other eight riders signed so far, will help GreenEdge gain a WorldTour licence in their first year.

"There is still process to go through," Bannan told Cycling Weekly this week during a visit to the team's European in Italy. "We are on top of the four criteria: finance, administrative, ethical and the critical one, sporting. We need points and are tracking well. We should be entering in the top 10."

The Union Cycliste International (UCI) last year released a list of the top 20 teams, granting its top-level ProTeam licence to the highest placed 15 teams.

Team Sky's Gerrans is one of Australia's best-known riders, but, more importantly, he brings points. This month, Sky helped him win the Tour of Denmark.

GreenEdge also announced earlier this week a second Dutch cyclist from team Rabobank, Sebastian Langeveld. He joins Pieter Weening in making the switch. They bring points and a Rabobank flavour.

"We have respect of other teams, particularly Rabobank," Bannan added. "They've been in the game for 16 years and have a strong development team.

"We are also keeping an eye on Sky and admire the way they are going about their business."

GreenEdge so far

Jack Bobridge (from Garmin-Cervélo)

Travis Meyer (Garmin-Cervélo)

Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervélo)

Daniel Teklehaymanot (neo)

Stuart O'Grady (Leopard-Trek)

Pieter Weening (Rabobank)

Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank)

Simon Gerrans (Sky)

Matt Goss looks likely to join as well. However, he and the other HTC-Highroad riders are unable to announce new contracts until September 1.

Former Giro leader, Monti dies

Italian Bruno Monti, 80, died yesterday in Albano Laziale. He wore the leader's pink jersey at the 1955 Giro d'Italia and won three stages throughout his career.

He represented the Italian team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games as an amateur. As a professional, he also won a stage of the Tour of Switzerland and the Giro dell'Emilia twice.

Rebellin returns after doping ban to win

Italian Davide Rebellin, 40 years old, successfully completed his return from a doping ban to win the Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday.

He won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but his blood samples showed traces of EPO-CERA in retroactive testing.

On April 28, over eight months later and after he won the Flèche Wallonne classic, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released the test results. He fought the positive test and the subsequent two-year ban.

He said he wants to continue to race for two more years and is linked with team Astana. He currently rides for third division team, Miche. The team employs German Stefan Schumacher, who also tested positive in IOC's retroactive testing.

Degenkolb to Skil-Shimano

German sprinter, John Degenkolb will ride for Skil-Shimano for the next two years. The 22-year-old won six times this year with HTC-Highroad, including two stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné

He "reinforces our intention to represent Skil-Shimano in the biggest and most important races," said general manager, Iwan Spekenbrink in a press release yesterday. He "has the potential of becoming a future green jersey winner."

HTC's German, Patrick Gretsch will also join Skil.

Related links

Gerrans leaves Sky to join GreenEdge