Newport cyclist Simon Holt is gearing up for his second Italian Job, hoping to have more luck than his original foray into foreign territory 18 months ago.
Holt has signed for Italian elite amateur side UC Bergamasca for the 2010 season as he bids to make the step-up into the professional ranks.
The 22 year-old is hopeful his second stint in Italy will prove more fruitful than his first – which ended after just five months when Holt walked out after it emerged that several of his team-mates were taking performance enhancing drugs.
He said: “It’s a much better set-up now. This is what I wanted when I first came out last year.
“I was lucky that when I went back to the UK I was able to find a team but as soon as I came out here last October I knew that I wanted to join.
“The team is almost professional in the way it is run. I’m living in a house just outside Bergamo with some of the other riders and have regular contact with my coach.
“When we go out for team rides we have a team care with us – the whole thing is more professional.”
Holt added that his racing season had only just begun having been struck down with illness at the turn of the year.
“I’ve only had one race so far and it went really well.
“I had been ill over the New Year so I wasn’t expecting to do anything too special but I managed to get myself in the bunch sprint and finish 10th overall,” he said.
“I will be racing in the elite amateur series in Italy so most of my races will be in Italy.
“The team looks very strong and we’ll be targeting the Baby Giro which is the junior version of the Giro d’Italia.
“I’ll also be riding in the junior version of Paris-Roubaix so will be aiming to peak in May and June for those two races.”
Holt added he was due to return to the UK for the national championships, which take place in Kendal, later this year.
“I do hope to go back for the national championships – it is my last year at under-23 level so that is a big target for me.
“It would be nice to do the Newport Nocturne as well.
“Hopefully I can try and persuade a couple of my team-mates to come over as well and we can make an event out of it. It would be great to race in Newport again.”
