Giovanni Visconti moves to Bardiani-CSF Faizanè, Circus – Wanty Gobert picks up CCC Team riders
Veteran Italian moves to UCI Pro Continental team; new WorldTour team bolsters lineup with youth, and experience.
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Italian veteran pro Giovanni Visconti has signed with UCI continental squad Bardiani CSF Faizanè for the 2021 season, reports Weilerflits.
The 37-year-old, who is entering his 17th season as a professional cyclist moves from Vini Zabù – KTM. Throughout his career, he’s tallied 34 wins including three national championships, and two Giro d’Italia stages.
Visconti raced on the Movistar Team from 2012 to 2016 and then was with Bahrain-Merida for the 2017-18 seasons.
“Still getting personal results but meanwhile helping young, promising athletes get the best out of themselves,” said Visconti. “Physically I am fine, I feel at least five years younger. The motivation is great.”
Visconti crashed in stage 6 of the 2020 Giro d’Italia, and suffered an injury to his foot — a piece of metal “with a diameter of 0.5cm and at least 20cm long” skewered the toe of his left shoe. He still managed to pedal through to the stage finish.
Posso dire che sono fortunato ad essere arrivato a Matera sulle mie gambe? Uno spavento che per fortuna è rimasto solo tale. A domani, sperando che la nuvola nera che vola sulla Vini Zabù Brado KTM venga spinta via dal vento pic.twitter.com/AKN4Vlj1I0
— GIOVANNI VISCONTI OFFICIAL (@GIOVANNIVISCON9) October 8, 2020
Visconti joins recent additions to the Bardiani-CSF squad which include Enrico Battaglin and Kevin Rivera.
CCC Team riders to Circus – Wanty Gobert
Jan Hirt, Georg Zimmermann, and Jonas Koch will move from CCC Team to team Circus – Wanty Gobert.
Koch was offered a one-year deal, while Zimmermann and Hirt are in for two years. “With Jim Ochowicz, we had set the goal of supplementing our existing riders base with as many riders from Team CCC as possible,” said Jean-François Bourlart, Circus – Wanty Gobert general manager.
The 29-year-old Hirt won the Tour of Austria in 2016, and has finished twelfth in the 2017 Giro d’Italia. Zimmermann, 23, is currently racing at the Vuelta a España as a neo-pro, while Koch, 27, will be developing as a one-day racer.
The Belgian team announced at the end of September that it had bought the WorldTour license from the Polish-based squad.
Many of the Circus – Wanty Gobert squad are moving with the team up to the premier pro racing level. Reports also tie the experienced Louis Meintjes — currently with NTT Pro Cycling — with the squad, but this move yet to be confirmed.
For the 2021 season, Circus – Wanty Gobert will be racing on the German brand Cube bicycles, debuting at the WorldTour level.