Cannondale Factory Race Team members Marco Aurelio Fontana, Roel Paulissen and Martin Gujan

More off-season race team manouevring as Cannondale unveils its all-new Cannondale Factory Race Team. Up until now, Cannondale has fielded separate teams in the US and Europe, but the withdrawal of SoBe from the sponsorship of the US team has given Cannondale the opportunity to merge its racing operations into one seamless worldwide outfit.

“We’ve had an excellent working relationship with SoBe and enjoyed many successes after their return to the team this past year,” says Matt Jewett, Inside Sales Director and Promotions Manager for Cannondale. “The upside is that all the best traditions of the team can live on. These riders have continuously been the best ambassadors for the sport of cycling and active lifestyles as a whole. Now they have a global platform on which to carry this 10-year heritage.”

There’ll still be a distinct US/Europe split in the line-up, though, with the World Cup assault being led by Roel Paulissen (Belgium), Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy) and Martin Gujan (Switzerland). American racers like Gunnar Shogren and Matthew Lee will be competing in their domestic events.

“An opportunity presented itself to combine the efforts of the best athletes racing on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Rory Mason, director of sports marketing for Cannondale. “It really gives us a voice at a wide variety of races, from local fat tire festivals to UCI podiums.”