Simone Ponzi is ready to start a new adventure. The Italian has ended the relationship with Southeast and from next year he will race with CCC Sprandi - Polkowice with whom he signed a two-year contract. 

It is an important change at the end of a positive season that only lacked a victory. The second took place at the GP Plouay behind a certain Alexander Kristoff was undoubtedly the best result of 2015 and was joined by other prominent places of honour. In 2016 he will have a prominent place in his new Polish team.

“I regret not having won,” he told Spaziociclismo when asked about his balance. “I was close several times and I got some places of honour. It was not great, but not disastrous.

“I missed the win but I was close. Even in Romania (at the Sibiu Tour, ed ), I could win the stage that [teammate Mauro] Finetto won. We got together and he took the win. From Plouay my form was growing until the end of the season and I regret not having won.”

The big disappointment for Ponzi was his non-selection for the Giro d’Italia.

“At the Giro del Trentino I was really strong and we had planned that it was where I had to be at my best,” he said. “They told me the day before I left that I would not be selected. To prepare the end of the season was not easy, but in Slovenia I was strong, and I finished third in a stage after two months without racing. I was always with the best and also in Sibiu I was strong. Then there were races in France that are not suitable for me as they finished in bunch sprints. Let's say that I was strong since Slovenia, with the season finale in crescendo.

“My non-selection was purely a technical choice.”

Last week it was announced that Ponzi has signed a contract with CCC Sprandi.

“The first contact came at Lombardy,” he said. “My agent asked me what I thought of this possibility, and I told him that I would be very interested. From there we started to talk and reached two-year agreement. I am very happy with this choice.

“I have known [sports director Gabriele] Missaglia from the races. Then there are Paterski and Szmyd whom I knew from the time at Liquigas. From the outside CCC has the image of a growing team and it showed itself in the Giro. It is a team that will enter the WorldTour in two years' time so I want to do my best and stay there for a long time. 

“Next year we want to have 30 riders under contract, so I assume they already have the confidence to make a nice calendar.”

In 2014, Ponzi got his first season at Southeast off to a flying start. He has similar plans for 2016.

“First of all I want to start fast like in 2014 and then star in major WorldTour races. I hope that the invitations will give a good calendar. We will see which races we can do but my goal is to have a strong winter and to show that the investment they made ​​in me is valid,” he said.

Despite leaving Southeast, he has no regrets about spending two years at the Italian team.

“I draw a positive balance, because we won the Coppa Italia for teams twice in a row,” he said. I do not say that I was the main architect of the victories, but I got lots of placings. It is too bad that there were few victories among them. Furthermore, I had a great relationship with my teammates. I am a little sorry to leave such an environment. I always had carte blanche and I always had a chance to decide if it was my race. They were two fantastic years.”