February 4/08 9:09 am - Canadian Joins Amore & Vita-McDonalds for 2008

Posted by Editor on 02/4/08
 

Canadian Joins Amore & Vita-McDonalds for 2008

Canadian Phil Cortes was the first professional cyclist to wear the new team uniform. The Kit was designed by the team General Manager Cristian Fanini who was looking to add a more "Modern Style" to the team's look. In this project he was helped by Massimo Barbieri, director of Marketing for McDonald's Italy and by the design staff at Biemme Italy. These jerseys will hopefully be as popular as the everlasting Pepsi-Fanini Team kit from 20 years ago. It is still in high demand from collectors and has the world champion colours to represent the 12 world champions who have come from the Amore & Vita family of riders.

The Jersey will be worn by the team this season, which is led by Sprinter Ivan Quaranta (winner of 6 stages of the Giro D'Italia), and by 5-time World Champion, and Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalist Miguel Martinez.

Cortes has come to the team from the Canadian Continental team Calyon-Litespeed. He attended the team's training camp in January and February of 2007. Cortes is an all round rider who has shown his prowess particularly in time trials and in week long stage races. The team will count on him in both one day races as well as stages races. "Phil will be of great help in powering our leadout for Quaranta as well as helping Martinez and Graziano Gasparre in difficult stage races" states Fanini.

The team is under the direction of Pierino Gavazzi and Maurizio Giorgini. It will start training camp in Lido di Camaiore today in preparation for the Italian season opener, GP Costa degli Etruschi in Donoratico. The team will match its sprinters Quaranta and Yurii Metlushenko against returning winner Alessandro Petacchi.

The 2008 Team:

Alexei Bauer (Rus)
Slawomyr Bury (Pol)
Phil Cortes (Can)
Shaun Davel (RSA)
Valentino Fois (Ita)
Graziano Gasparre (Ita)
Fabio Gilioli (Ita)
Ervin Haxihi (Alb)
Lukasz Kacorzyk (Pol)
Sewerin Zenon Kohut (Pol)
Slawomir Kohut (Pol)
Miguel Martinez (Fra)
Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukr)
Soren Nissen (Den)
Ivan Quaranta (Ita)
Marek Stefanik (Pol)
Michael Stevenson (Swe)
Mikahil Timoshin (Rus)