After the collapse of the Astana negotiations, Franco Pellizotti suddenly found himself without a team for 2014 at the end of December. Having reached an agreement with Androni-Venezuela to continue with his current team, the Italian regrets the lost opportunity of riding to the Tour de France but is happy to have his future secured.

Franco Pellizotti appeared to have a safe future ahead of him when he was announced as a new signing by Astana in August. Looking forward to returning to the top level, the former Italian champion was signed as a key domestique for Vincenzo Nibali in the Tour de France.

However, things started to unravel when Astana decided to obey to a rule of the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) which states that a member cannot sign a new rider until two years after the expiration of a doping-related suspension. Having been suspended for a biological passport case and having returned to competition in May 2012, Pellizotti could not start his season with Astana before May 2.

Both Pellizotti and Astana appeared to have accepted the rule but earlier this month the team announced that Pellizotti would not join the team after all. No reason was given but it was a common perception that Pellizotti was reluctant to miss too much of the season at 35 years of age (he will turn 36 in January).

When Pellizotti returned from his suspension, he was picked up by the Androni-Venezuela team with which he had a valid contract. While Pellizotti was expected to ride for Astana, that team's manager Gianni Savio had, however, spent his budget and he needed extra funding if he wanted to keep his star rider.

Savio went back to his sponsors and secured the funding needed to keep his star rider in the ranks. On Monday, the team confirmed that Pellizotti will join new signing Johnny Hoogerland in a captaincy role.

Androni is a member of the MPCC but as Pellizotti will just continue on an existing contract, the team is in full compliance with the rules.

In an interview with Elleradio, Pellizotti reveals that it was indeed the MPCC story that dampened Astana's interest in signing him. When the team added Michele Scarponi to the roster, the writing was on the wall and he is happy to have overcome an unexpected challenge.

“The Astana management even asked me to ride with them from August 1 this year so that I could support [Vincenzo] Nibali at the Vuelta, but Gianni Savio rightly asked me to finish out the year with Androni because we had the chance of winning the Coppa Italia and thus being invited to the next Giro d’Italia,” he said.

“In the meantime, this problem with the MPCC emerged, Astana cooled a bit towards me and they officially signed Scarponi. In the end, thanks to Gianni and the sponsors, we managed to reach this agreement that allows me to stay with him. For me this is a big Christmas present. It all arose at the last minute.”

Pellizotti had a clause in his contract that allowed him to sign with a WorldTour team.

“I had already signed a contract with Savio in June, in which we wrote that if I didn’t find a WorldTour team [for 2014], I would stay on with them,” said Pellizotti, whose talks with Astana had begun during the Giro d’Italia and were ongoing at that point.

“Savio then made his plans for 2014 without me, given that, on paper, the deal with Astana was all done. Clearly, I haven’t signed the same deal I would have done with Astana, but that’s normal. My happiness goes far beyond the purely financial side of things.”

In 2009, Pellizotti won the mountains jersey at the Tour de France but was later stripped from his title for his biological passport case. Going back to Venezuela means missing the opportunity to return to the Tour and this is a regret for the former Italian champion.

“It would have been an honour to ride the Tour, and especially to do so with Vincenzo [Nibali], a rider who can bring the yellow jersey home. For me, that would have been a point of pride at the end of a beautiful career,” he said. “On the other hand, I’m delighted to be able to ride the Giro d’Italia, which I’ll approach with the aim of winning stage and looking to be a protagonist throughout the three weeks.”

As winner of the Coppa Italia, Androni-Venezuela already have a wildcard for the Giro.