Liquigas' Franco Pellizotti in demand for the 2011 season
Franco Pellizotti's agent has said that the Italian rider is in talks with several teams ahead of the 2011 season after being cleared of the doping charges brought against him by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
Pellizotti was one of three riders who were subject to an investigation by the UCI over irregular biological passport data this year.
The investigation forced Pellizotti to withdraw from this year's Giro d'Italia. He was replaced by his Liquigas teammate Vincenzo Nibali and the 32-year-old was provisionally suspended for the rest of the season.
In his absence, Nibali finished in third place in the Giro and went on to win the general classification of the Vuelta a Espana in September.
On 21 October, Pellizotti was cleared of the doping charges by the Italian national anti-doping court (TNA) after they couldn't tie the rider's blood values specifically to doping.
"Franco is on holiday, but we're working hard to find him a new contract," Alex Carera, Pellizotti's agent, told
Cyclingnews on Tuesday, 26 October.
While Carera confirmed that several teams are interested in his client's services, he also said that Pellizotti might extend his current contract with Liquigas.
But with Nibali and Ivan Basso, the winner of this year's Giro, already racing for the team, it's unclear whether Pellizotti will opt to stay.
"Several teams have shown interesting in signing him, including Sky, Astana, Movistar, Geox and Acqua & Sapone. His contract with Liquigas ends this year, but we're also talking to them because they've been so supportive."
Carera said that he has been in touch with Dave Brailsford, performance director at British Cycling and team manager of Sky, a British outfit that formed in December 2009.
"I've spoken directly to Dave Brailsford at Team Sky, but the interest came from Sky Italia and the team's bike sponsor Pinarello. I've got to talk to Franco about the interest when he gets back from his holidays next week, but a decision could be made soon
about his future."
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