A few days after Luca Scinto stepped down from his position as sports director, the Neri Sottoli team has been dealt another blow. Main sponsor Neri Sottoli has decided not to continue in its current role in 2015.

The Tuscan company Neri Sottoli, in accordance with team manager Angelo Citracca, had decided to invest more in the youth sector. In 2015, the partnership with the professional team will continue, but Giuliano Baronti want to focus more on young riders, especially on the junior team Franco Ballerini.

"This is a shared decision", said Giuliano Baronti. "The team has always honored the name of our company; we have shared successes and difficulties and we grew up together until we won the Italian Teams Championship. We don't want to leave the professional team, the name of our company will be on its jerseys. We would just like to invest more in the team Franco Ballerini which is made up of young riders, with Luca Scinto as technical manager. The name of a leading company like ours can guarantee a certain strength and it can give an additional impetus to the image of the team."

Team manager Angelo Citracca fully understands the wish of Neri Sottoli : "It was an important main sponsor. We have always tried to pay back for the trust and I think we did it. We are united by a strong friendship. For this reason, the name of the company Neri Sottoli will stay on our jerseys. Giuliano Baronti wants to invest more in young riders, especially in the team Franco Ballerini, and I think it's a wonderful initiative: youth cycling needs big names and solid companies in order to look forward peacefully, and Neri Sottoli can do it."

In recent years, the team has been marred by several doping scandals. In 2014, Matteo Rabottini tested positive and late in 2014 they were suspended from the Movement for a Credible Cycling.

It is still unclear under which name the team will ride in 2015.