The new Wanty team set up by Vacansoleil sports director Hilarire van der Schueren has finalized it roster by signing Mirko Selvaggi and Kevin Seeldraeyers. While the Italian has already signed a contract, the Belgian has reached a verbal agreement with the team after several months of frustration over his uncertain future.
Earlier this year, it emerged that Vacansoleil sports director Hilaire van der Schueren had secured funding that would allow him to set up a professional continental team for the 2014 season. Named Wanty-Groupe Gobert, the team was expected to provide a home for many of the riders that had been left unemployed by the demise of Vacansoleil.
Following weeks of activity, van der Schueren had now put his last touches on the roster for the coming season, having reached an agreement with the final two riders. With 20 riders now on board, there is not room for any more riders on the squad that is in principle a replacement of the current Accent.jobs team.
Already from the beginning, it was rumoured that Italian classics specialist and Vacansoleil stalwart Mirko Selvaggi would be one of the riders on the new team. Having mostly been regarded as a certainty, the move has now been confirmed, with Het Laatste Nieuws claiming that a contract has been signed.
Selvaggi made his debut with Cycle Collstrop in 2008 and after a year at a lower level with the Amica Chips team, he joined Vacansoleil in 2010. The 28-year-old still hasn't won a race but he has made gradual improvements, mainly showing his talents in the cobbled classics. This year he finished 4th in the Dwars Door Vlaanderen and he will be an important domestique for Bjorn Leukemans who will be the team's leader in the one-day races.
The final rider on the roster will in all likelihood be Kevin Seeldraeyers. Het Laatste Nieuws reports that the team has reached a verbal agreement with the Belgian climber but van der Schueren refuses to take anything for granted, having already been left disappointed by Ben Hermans who broke a temporary agreement to sign with BMC
"I am a little cautious because of the fact that Ben Hermans surprisingly changed his mind at the last minute," van der Schueren told the Belgian newspaper. "I have learned that a deal is never confirmed before it has been signed but basically nothing should prevent the move."
Seeldraeyers was once regarded as the next big Belgian stage racer and won the white jersey for best young rider in the 2009 Giro d'Italia. However, his progress stalled and he has mostly been working as a domestique after joing Astana in 2012.
Having had a bad crash in Paris-Nice, Seeldraeyers found his legs in time for the Tour de France but was omitted from the 9-rider roster by his Kazakh team. He proved them wrong by winning two stages and finishing 3rd overall in the Tour of Austria which is run concurrently with the Grande Boucle.
Having publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the non-selection, he only got the chance to do three one-day races after the Austrian race and didn't get his contract renewed. He faced an uphill battle to find a new team, often stating his disappointment, but appears now to have secured his future career. He will provide the team with considerable firepower in the stage races.
With the roster now full, it appears that there will be no room for Samuel Sanchez and Luis Leon Sanchez who had both been linked with the Belgian team. The former was recently rumoured to be considering a surprise move to the Sky Dive team from Dubai while the latter is negotiating with Caja Rural.
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