Yet another former Gazprom rider finds new contract, Matteo Malucelli confirmed in new Chinese squad
Cycling
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, Gazprom-Rusvelo have been stripped of their UCI license and all their riders left without a contract. With a large contingent of Italian riders, one by one they are finding new homes, and Matteo Malucelli has been the most recent signing.
The news come just after former teammate Christian Scaroni got his first World Tour contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team. Nicola Conci, José Manuel Díaz, Alessandro Fedeli, Michael Kukrle, Eirik Lunder, Andrea Piccolo and Mathias Vacek have also in the meantime found new teams - although not all are currently racing at pro level. Malucelli is the next name, as he'll link up with China Glory Continental Cycling Team for the rest of 2022.
A new team on the peloton, it races a largely European calendar despite the obvious Asian focus. Malucelli will be joining the likes of former World Tour riders Sean Bennett and Willie Smit - aswell as having several former World Tour staff members on board - and will have the opportunity to race through the rest of the year with a team that should largely support his ambitions.
Malucelli as the winner of the first stage of the Tour of Antalya this year, aswell as finishing sixth and fourth at bunch sprints in the UAE Tour still racing for Gazprom - Rusvelo. Ever since he's been representing the Italian national team - alongside several of his past teammates - where he's also won the opening stage and wore the leader's jersey at the Giro di Sicilia.
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- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
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Another ex Gazprom found a team: italian sprinter Matteo Malucelli signs for China Glory. #cycling #Transfers #continentalteam @chinaglorypro @malumatteo1
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