Geox announces four new signings
After announcing the signings of Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre earlier in the summer, Team Geox has named four young riders who will join its roster for the 2011 season.
Mauro Gianetti's team, currently under the name Footon-Servetto, will keep some of its current riders, including Rafael Valls, Arkaitz Duran, Noe Gianetti, Fabio Felline, Matthias Brandle and Marco Corti.
Meanwhile, Fabio Duarte, Marko Kump, Matteo Pelucchi and Marcel Wyss have been added to the Geox roster for the 2011 season. The youngsters will be led by three-time Grand Tour winner Menchov and Tour de France winner Sastre.
"We have always been know for seeing and finding young talent, and I'm sure some of these riders will be leading world cycling in the near future," Gianetti said, proud to announce the additions to his squad. "For them it's going to be a great boost to be able to learn from riders like Sastre and Menchov and discover the secrets of the sport."
New additions relatively unknown
Colombian Duarte won the U23 World Road Race Championships last year, a season in which he also finished third in Colombia's National Road Race Championships. The 24-year-old, a climbing specialist, joins Geox from Café de Colombia.
In 2009, Slovenian prospect Kump won a stage in both the Tour of Slovenia and in the Tour de l'Avenir. This season, the 21-year-old won the U23 Tour of Flanders. Kump joins Geox from Adria-Mobil, for whom he has raced since 2007.
Wyss leaves the Cervelo Test Team to join Geox after racing with the Swiss outfit since 2009.
The Swiss rider's greatest achievement to date came in 2008, when he won the prologue and general classification of the Fleche du Sud. A knee injury sustained in the GP Gippingen in June kept Wyss out of this year's Tour de Suisse.
Minor victories aside, these riders are not yet well-known in the cycling world but Geox appears to be attempting to build depth to keep a steady stream of talent in years to come.
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