Gianni Savio's New Mexican Dream-Team
Legendary Italian team-owner finding success as former Giro stage-winner Jonathan Caicedo victorious in Venezuela
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I’m not a believer that the season starts with the opening Belgian weekend. I think it’s a small-minded way to look at the diverse world of pro cycling.
Weirdly enough, the 2024 season technically began in November of last year, when the UCI resets the clocks and all points revert to zero. With Down Under now out the way, I can say with full confidence that the season has really begun.
There’s another race in the southern hemisphere that signals the raising of the curtain on a new season. The Vuelta al Táchira is a legendary, long-standing race in Venezuela. It first took place way back in 1966 and for all of that time, it has been held in the month of January, signalling the dawning of a new season.
This year it also heralded the return to glory of a legendary team-owner: Gianni Savio.
A Perfect Start: Caicedo wins in Venezuela
Last year, Jonathan Caicedo was riding high, racing with EF Education-EasyPost in the World Tour. He took part in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.
Unfortunately, in the eyes of the EF management, the Ecuadorian didn’t do enough to warrant a contract extension. He was left out in the cold after five years with the team that brought with it a Giro stage win up Mount Etna.
Caicedo was saved from the scrap-heap by Team Petrolike, a Mexican continental team heading into its third season.
The 30-year-old repaid his new employers immediately by winning the overall title at the Vuelta al Táchira last week. Caicedo won the mountain-top finish up to Mérida on stage four to become the first Ecuadorian ever to win the race.
The team has recently gone into partnership with Gianni Savio, the long-standing owner of the now defunct Androni Giocatolli team and a bit of a cult hero among cycling fans.
Previously, the team was made-up almost entirely of Mexican riders. Some solid young talents - like Jose Ramon Muniz who was a key support in Isaac del Toro’s Tour de l’Avenir win in 2023 - but it’s probably fair to say there were also some who didn’t have the talent required of an elite team.
For 2024, Savio has brought with him some familiar sponsors, changing the team’s full name to Team Petrolike - Androni Giocatolli Sidermec.
The team signed some high profile riders. Alongside Caicedo are his former EF team-mate Diego Camargo, former Caja Rural sprinter Nelson Soto, Mexico’s Edgar Cadena, a talented climber who had a stagiaire contract with Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè last year and several other former pros and promising prospects.
The team is stacked full of talent and should be able to bring home some big results over this season. It will be interesting to see them go up against the mighty Team Medellin at a few races.
Savio and his new partners are not just there for a holiday. The Italian hopes that this is his route back into the pro game. The squad plan to spend a good portion of their season in Europe.
The team’s General Manager, David Plaza Romero, told tuttobiciweb: “This new collaboration opens the top-level Italian calendar for Petrolike and is the first step towards our goal of becoming a professional by 2025.”
Unforeseen hope for Mexican cycling
It’s quite remarkable really that there is so much hope within Mexican cycling at a time when the sport is perhaps at its lowest point in the country.
The national federation in Mexico was suspended by the UCI in 2021 for corruption and it has not managed to get back on its feet since.
Out of those ashes has risen independent projects which have supported emerging talent very successfully.
The obvious example is A.R. Monex, set up by two brothers to give young Mexicans the chance to race in Europe. That system produced Isaac del Toro, who is emerging as one of the next stars of the sport.
Now there is the prospect of a professional Mexican registered team with talented Mexicans very much at the heart of it. It’s a new dawn for cycling in Mexcio.
Other news & stories
Isaac del Toro and Mexican cycling’s emergence from the doldrums (La Course En Tête)
Merhawi Kudus and Andreas Miltiadis were announced as new signings for Malaysian team Terengganu. It was also the Eritrean’s birthday this week…
Race Round-up
In Rwanda, Eric Manizabayo won the men’s race at the Heroes Cycling Cup. Xaverine Nirere won the women’s race.
Phetdarin Somrat is the new Thai women’s TT and road champion. Thanakhan Chaiyasombat also doubled-up by winning the men’s road race and TT.
In South Africa, Morne van Niekerk won the Gauteng Road Champs.
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