Yesterday it came out that Paolo Bettini has resigned from his position as national coach for the Italian national team. The former world champion has been linked with a position in the new Alonso team and while he refuses to name his new employer, he tells La Gazzetta dello Sport that it is an ambitious project with a long-term future and a solid financial basis.

In July, Paolo Bettini had reversed his decision to resign from the position of Italian national coach and so it came as a surprise when yesterday the former world champion announced that he would step down from his position. Several media reported that the he had been offered a position with the new team set up by F1 driver Fernando Alonso but while Bettini admitted to have been in talks with the Spanish project, he refused to elaborate on the details.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bettini again refused to name his new employer but he admitted to have signed a contract with an ambitious team that has a solid financial basis.

"Out of respect for my new partners, I cannot say anything except that I will stay in the cycling world," he said. "I can add that it will be an important and ambitious project, at a high level and with a clear profile, that will last for at least five years and that includes significant investments."

Fernando Alonso had originally tried to take over the license from the folding Euskaltel team but the negotiations collapsed in September. Instead, the Spaniard is working hard to turn his project into reality for the 2015 season and he is reported to have already secured funding from a backer from the Middle East. At the same time, he has already held meeting with the UCI and Tour de France organizers ASO about the chances of entering the revamped WorldTour in its first season and getting an invitation for the world's biggest race.

"I cannot say more than that," he said. "I like to do things in the big way. And the new project feels the same way."

After initially deciding to continue in his role with the national team, Bettini admits that his reversed decision came as a surprise.

"Until December 18, the situation was calm," he said. "There were no signs that I would resign. What had until then only been a single meeting, a hypothesis, suddenly became a real, concrete and tangible proposal. I found myself at a crossroads.

"It was a long and painful decision," he added. "I had no deadline, I made one for myself. I had a week to consider the feelings of my heart and weigh up the facts calmly. On Friday I called President Renato Di Rocco and told him about my choice."

"[I say goodbye] with some sadness when I look back, and with great desire when I look forward."

Bettini has been reported to have stepped down from his position due to controversies with federation president Di Rocco but Bettini refuses those rumours even though he admits that their "relationship has had difficult times."

While he had much success with the national team as a rider, winning two consecutive rainbow jerseys, Bettini never had similar success in his role as coach, with 4th places for Filippo Pozzato and Vincenzo Nibali respectively being his best result during his four-year tenure.

"It's true," Bettini said when asked about his lack of success. "But there are more beautiful moments than bad ones. To create a team is a difficult and delicate task but due to its human aspects it has been a fantastic one. In that sense, it has been a pleasure."

Several media report that Bettini will be presented by Alonso on January 7 at a press conference in Madrid.