Gianetti has two options

Mauro Gianetti and Joxean Matxin went to Venezuela two weeks ago to see if that government, and more precise the tourism board, could back the team we know as Geox-TMC.

Bike Live, the company behind the team, saw Geox leave as its main sponsor on the day the transfer deadline after which WT-points became usesless, closed. For that reason they had to withdraw their WorldTour application which they would have probably got with both Cobo and Menchov.

Now @mrconde reveals on his blog that Gianetti has two horses to bet on. Next to the Venezuelan tourism board another party would be interested. According to Gianetti, a deal is close. It should be because the team have very little time left to file the necessary paperwork at UCI for a procontinental license.

Meanwhile riders are leaving. On the day Geox left Mehdi Sohrabi closed a deal with Omega Pharma-Quick Step. With the Iranian points the Belgian team stays in WT. A clever move by Sohrabi and DS Marc Sergeant.

Duarte, Ardila and Felline already left and Denis Menchov – 5th in Vuelta and 8th in Giro – is on his way to Katusha. But even with only Cobo as captain the team will secure some wildcards for mainly Spanish races. And will probably get an invite for the Vuelta with Cobo being title defender.

I hope for the riders and support staff they keep their job. I am a bit two-faced about Gianetti. He’s controversial in the peloton, to say the least. His name linked to a team is always a burden if you want to keep up a good name. There’s always doping rumours around Gianetti.

Don’t you wonder how Footon-Servetto managed to end up in ProTour last year?