The Liquigas – Cannondale 2012 squad is complete

Agostini, Betancur, Canuti, Moser, Ratto and Sarmiento in green and blue. The entire team of directeurs sportifs is also confirmed.

A complete roster with an outstanding mix of talent built on solid foundations to target future success – this sums up the 29-man team selected by Liquigas-Cannondale for 2012. Eighteen Italians, eleven foreign riders and six new entries: Italians Federico Canuti and Daniele Ratto, two neo-pros (both Italian) Stefano Agostini and Moreno Moser, and two Colombians Josè Sarmiento and Carlos Alberto Betancur. Betancur (who formally signed a contract with Liquigas Sport) will not be joining the first training camps at Passo San Pellegrino and in Sardinia though as he is waiting for the powers that be to settle a contractual issue.

The established core of the team has been confirmed, starting with the captains Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali and the Slovak champion Peter Sagan. Joining them to take on the 2012 season are: Italians Elia Viviani, Daniel Oss, Eros Capecchi, Valerio Agnoli, Damiano Caruso, Mauro Da Dalto, Tiziano Dall’Antonia, Paolo Longo Borghini, Alan Marangoni, Fabio Sabatini, Cristiano Salerno and Alessandro Vanotti; Polish riders Maciej Bodnar, Maciej Paterski and Sylwester Szmyd; Americans Timmy Duggan and Ted King; Slovenian rider Kristijan Koren, Dominik Nerz from Germany and the Slovakian Juraj Sagan.

«The first goal we set for ourselves when planning for 2012 was to confirm as much of the team from last year as we could as it was already competitive,» said team manager Roberto Amadio. «We’ve achieved our aim and also selected some dependable, young riders so now we can look to next season with plenty of ambition. »

Liquigas-Cannondale has also confirmed the entire team of directeurs sportifs: from the long-serving Stefano Zanatta and Dario Mariuzzo, who have been with the team since Liquigas Sport started in 2005, to Mario Scirea, Paolo Slongo (the team’s trainer), Alberto Volpi and Biagio Conte, who have joined the green and blues in subsequent years.