After several years at the pro continental level with Luca Scinto's Neri Sottoli team, Pier Paolo De Negri took a step down for the 2014 season. He joined the continental Vini Fantini - Nippo team, and instead of doing the biggest races in the world, he did lots of events in exotic places in Asia.

"Italy, Belgium and France have a lot of history and tradition but cycling moves to emerging markets that are already wealthy and where there are strong commercial interests," he told Gazzetta.it in an interview. "My team, Vini Fantini-Nippo is focus on Asia where cycling is growing. In 2010 I participated in the Tour de Qinghai Lake in China and this year I was back. I remembered the organization and the few farmers who were forced to act as spectators. This time I found a professional management and a real audience.

"If there are more curious fans in China, there are more fans and real passinate people in Japan. Here they know us by name, our jerseys and the victories. There are people that want to buy our jerseys directly from us, with money in hand. I have raced in Malaysia and Singapore but not in Indonesia year. In 2015 I will also be riding in Bali.T

"Here we go to attack. And since you don't know all the riders, you sometimes let someone go who is able to hold off the chase. Like in the Tour of Japan. In 2013 I won the stage to Minamishinshu. This year we had a rain, a fast start a difficult circuit. A Frenchman attacked but no one knew him. I did and I knew he was strong. I joined him and we decided the race in the final sprint."

De Negri won that stage in Japan. His second win was taken in Europe on a stage in the Circuit des Ardennes.

"It was in France at the Circuit des Ardennes, the first stage race with a European style," he said. "There was a break which was caught by the peloton. There was a final climb that suited my characteristics and we made a 1-2 with me and my teammate Grega Bole."

Next year the team will lose Grega Bole who has been the most successful rider in 2014. Instead, Damiano Cunego will join the team that will move up to the pro continental ranks.

"I am sorry to lose Grega. We started as teammates and ended as friends. Damiano will be able to relaunch his career and maybe even teach the many young riders in the team the rules and secrets of cycling."

With the move back to pro continental level, De Negri can allow himself to set bigger targets.

"I want to participate in the Giro d'Italia," he said. "For me, there would be four stages in Liguria which I know by heart. The third and fourth are held on roads that I know from training, from Bracco to Cinque Terre, from Val Fontanabuona to Val d'Aveto. But all races are goals: to win or to help someone to win and to learn."