Fuji to assume sponsorship of former Saunier Duval team.

The team formerly known as Saunier Duval and then Scott-American Beef, has a new title sponsor for the 2009 season.

The new Fuji-Servetto squad will retain its ProTour status. The team was close to collapse after the positive doping test of Italian climbing sensation Ricardo Riccò at the Tour de France. Both Riccò and teammate Leonardo Piepoli were both found to have used the new EPO variant, known as CERA.

For Fuji bicycles, the largest brand of Advanced Sports, Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this will be its first foray into the Pro Tour ranks. Previously the sponsor of U.S. Continental team Toyota-United, Fuji continues to expand its presence in the elite sports arena.

In addition to Fuji-Servetto, Fuji bicycles will sponsor the Pro Continental team Elk Haus, based in Austria. Fuji also continues to sponsor Equipe Nurnberger, the top-ranked women’s pro team out of Germany as well as U.S. Olympian and current National Champion in triathlon, Matt Reed.

“We are thrilled beyond belief,” said Advanced Sports’ director of marketing Karen Bliss. “We’ve had competitive road bikes for a long time – Judith Arndt, Regina Schleicher, Ivan Dominguez, Dominique Rollin and Tyler Hamilton all can attest to that. Now with the addition of our new D-6 time trial bike, we are Pro Tour ready.”

Fuji-Servetto’s team headquarters will be situated in Cantabria, a province in northern Spain. The team has signed four new riders for 2009: Andrea Tonti and Davide Viganò (Quick Step), Daniele Nardello (Diquigiovanni) and Ricardo Serrano (Tinkoff).

The remainder of the Fuji-Servetto roster will be composed of riders from the 2008 Scott-American Beef squad, including David Cañada, Eros Capecchi, Ermanno Capelli, David De la Fuente, Jesús Del Nero, Arkaitz Durán, Alberto Fernández de la Puebla, José Ángel Gómez Marchante, Héctor González, Beñat Intxausti, Josep Jufré, Javier Megías, Ángel Gómez, Juanjo Cobo, Iker Camaño and José Alberto Benítez.

The squad, lead by the General Manager Álvaro Crespi, will have its roster finalized in the coming weeks.

FILED UNDER: Road