Three Canadians Sign with Italy’s Amore & Vita – Cataford, Piccoli, Woods on Board

January 12, 2014 (Lucca, Italy) – The Italian-based continental road team, Amore & Vita-Selle SMP, has signed three Canadians to its 2014 roster according to the team website including Alex Cataford, James Piccoli and Mike Woods.

Cataford, 20, who rode for Garneau Quebecor in 2013, is the current U23 Canadian ITT champion and in 2011 he was the Junior Pan American Champion in individual pursuit. Piccoli, 22, who rode for Team Medique p/b Silber Investments in 2013 was second in the ITT and third at the 125.4 km men’s road race at the 2013 Canada Games.

Woods, 27, also rode for Garneau in 2013 and placed 9th at the Tour de Beauce and was 11th in the Elite Men’s road race at the 2013 Road Nationals. Late last year, Woods claimed a new KOM world record of 2:32:24 on the 56km Haleakala Climb in Hawaii, besting Ryder Hesjedal’s (Garmin-Sharp) previous record set in 2009.

According to their web site Amore & Vita is “The world’s oldest professional cycling team with the number one ambition of racing clean. Amore&Vita was founded after an initiative of Pope John Paul II and has had a very unique and clear standing since then.

“Mario Cippolini, Michele Bartoli, Andrea Tafi, Glenn Magnusson and Rolf Sørensen have all been riders for this highly recognized team. Nowadays the team is racing in all continents with riders like Yurij Metlushenko and Volodmyr Bileka among others, giving all the riders the very best opportunities to show themselves in high level racing all over the world.”

Thanks to Pasquale Stalteri for sending in this news.