Third place in UCI Europe Tour earns Italian the orange-coloured ride again
Davide Rebellin will spend a second consecutive season with Poland’s professional continental squad CCC Polsat Polkowice, with the team director saying that he is happy to see the return of the Italian, pointing to his experience, knowledge, and commitment.
Rebellin finished the season ranked third in the UCI Europe Tour standings, behind Austrian Ricardo Zoidl (Gourmetfein-Simplon) and Bryan Coquard (Europcar).
The 42-year-old penned the deal on Friday, as the former Ardennes Classics champion remains one of the pro peloton’s eldest statesmen.
In his first season with CCC Polsat Polkowice, Rebellin won a stage, and finished second overall in the Polish race Szlakiem Grodow Piastowskich. He also came out victorious in the Sibiu Cycling Tour in Romania. Rebellin’s highest profile results of the season was a third place finish in a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia, along with a runner up finish in stage three of the Ster ZLM Toer, and the final podium spot in the Italian road race championship.
The former Gerolsteiner rider has a well covered checkered past, testing positive and serving a ban for CERA after the 2008 Olympic Games.
Still, CCC Polsat Polkowice management is glad to have the Italian reeling in the occasional result in the midst of its largely Polish team roster.
“I am very pleased that, for another season, one of our team riders will be Davide Rebellin,” said chief sports director Piotr Wadecki. “I must admit that I was very keen to have Davide stay with us. Last season showed how much he was needed in our crew.”
Along with four victories from Rebellin, the team grabbed five additional wins. In its biggest showcase of the year, the Tour of Poland, Rebellin was the squad’s top finisher, taking 21st overall.
“Despite his age, he is still a class rider who can fight with the best in the world,” Wadecki continued. “He showed that as the racing season was ending. His great experience, knowledge, and commitment in his preparations proved to be very helpful for all the riders on our team.
“To train and race alongside Davide is a valuable experience for all our team riders, as shown by the results. He has proven that he can be a source of a lot of success. I hope that next season, our mutual cooperation will bring he and the CCC Polsat Polkowice team even more success and many moments of joy.”
Rebellin figures to begin his 2014 campaign at the Tour Méditerranéen, should his Polish team garner the same invitation it received in 2013.