After Franco Pellizotti and Astana agreed not to sign a contract for the coming season, Androni-Venezuela manager Gianni Savio was quick to ask his sponsors for additional funding that would allow him to keep his star rider. The experienced team leader claims that he will "do everything" to have Pellizotti riding in his team's colours in the coming season and hopes to receive positive replies from his backers this week.

It came as a surprise to many when Astana issued a statement to inform that Franco Pellizotti will not ride for the team in 2014 as had originally been expected. On August 1, the team had announced the signing of the former Italian champion but apparently the contract was never signed and the parties agreed to not start a cooperation.

Many have started to discuss what the future now holds for Pellizotti who turns 36 in January. At this time of the year, most teams have finalized their rosters and the market is already loaded with unemployed riders following the demise of five professional teams.

One of Pellizotti's concerns has been Astana's membership of the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC). The rules of the organization state that a team cannot sign a rider until at least two years after his return from a doping suspension. Pellizotti served a two-year ban for a biological passport case and would be unable to rider for Astana before May 2 - 2 years after the expiration date of his suspension.

At his current age, Pellizotti was keen to start his season right from the beginning and not miss another few months of competition. It is understood that this has been one of the reasons for Pellizotti's decision not to join Astana as previously expected.

However, most teams are now members of the MPCC and so the number of options for Pellizotti are limited. One option for the former Italian champion would, however, be to continue at Androni-Venezuela, the team for which he has been riding since he made his comeback in May 2012.

The team's manager Gianni Savio has already finalized his roster but has asked his sponsors to provide additional funding that would allow him to keep his captain. Savio explains to Spaziociclismo that he will "do everything" to keep the rider that finished 11th in the year's Giro d'Italia.

"I look forward to receiving replies from my sponsors whom I have approached and explained that we have an opportunity to keep France in our team," he said.

Androni is a member of the MPCC but as Pellizotti is already on the roster, he can ride for the team already from the beginning of the season. Savio has discussed the situation with MPCC president Roger Legeay to clarify the situation.

"In the last two years, France has raced for us with honesty and proved his character," he said. "The situation has changed. I don't say that doping does not exist but it is now much less widespread after the introduction of the biological passport."

In the past, Savio has often signed several riders who have returned from doping bans but recently claimed that he had changed his recruitment policy. In an attempt to become a WorldTour team backed by the Venezuelan government, he will instead focus on the development of young talents. As Pellizotti is already part of the team, he is, however, ready to make an exception.

"We had a deal with Franco and we can still keep him in 2014 but he was free to go to a WorldTour team if he was offered a higher salary," Savio said about the clause that allowed Pellizotti to open negotiations with Astana.

Savio hopes to have positive replies from his sponsors this week and is looking forward to a season that will see his team race a more international schedule. As it wants to become a WorldTour team in the future, the team will have a more visible presence in Northern Europe and has internationalized its roster by signing Dutchmen Johnny Hoogerland and Kenny Van Hummel from the now defunct Vacansoleil team.