Last week Fernando Alonso's manager Luis Garcia Abad confirmed to Biciciclismo that he has formally requested a WorldTour licence for the F1 star’s new team and now another important part of the process of building a new team has fallen into place. CyclingQuotes understands from a reliable source that the team will be riding Cervelo bikes in its first season in the professional peloton.

In July several media speculated that the Fernando Alonso team would not get off the ground as there was apparenly no activity on the free-agent market this spring and summer. Last week Alonso's manager and agent Luis Garcia Abad buried those speculations by confirming that he had formally requested a WorldTour license from the UCI.

In an interview with Biciclismo, Garcia Abad also stressed the importance of obeying to the rules in its transfer policy. UCI regulations prevent the team from officially contacting any riders before October 1 and Garcia Abad was keen to stress that they wanted to enter the cycling world in the "right way."
 

"If you touch the ball with your hand when you’re in front of the goalmouth, that’s a penalty I can’t contract anybody because I’m not formally registered as a team, I would be carrying out an illegal act," he told the Spanish website.

However, the process of building the cycling team is undergoing and CyclingQuotes understands that the team has secured itself a bike supplier. A reliable source has revealed that the team will be riding Cervelo bikes when they enter the professional cycling world.

Cervelo has been a key partner for the Garmin-Sharp team ever since their own test team merged with Jonathan Vaughters' team for the 2011 season. However, Vaugters has now joined forces with Cannondale which leaves Cervelo with no WorldTour team to supply.

The bike manufacturer has signed a contract with the MTN-Qhubeka team for the coming season but according to our information, they will also be supplying Alonso's new team.

It remains to be seen whether the new team will be granted a WorldTour license or whether they will have to start at the pro continental level. Alonso reportedly has a deal with sponsors from the United Arab Emirates worth up to 20 million euros per season, an amount that would catapult it into the top tier of team budgets, and the team reportedly already has invitations for all three grand tours.