Alessandro Malaguti (Nippo-Vini Fantini) is one of the many Italians who are still without a contract for the 2016. Still training hard for the coming season, he is confident that he can find a way to stay in the peloton.

“I am looking ahead,” he tells Tuttobiciweb. “Some doors are still open so I keep working and keep my fingers crossed. I wasn’t retained by Nippo-Vini Fantini because I was one of a few riders who was out of contract and the management wanted to strengthen the team with new signings. The current economic climate is what it is. I have no complaints and I can only speak well of this team. They have always been sincere and honest to me, I feel gratitude for the whole group. I sincerely hope that I will still be able to wear the blue-orange uniform because I like it very much and I know that [sports director Stefano] Giuliani is doing everything to help me.”

Things might have been different for Malaguti if he had won the Giro d’Italia stage to Forli where he was beaten by Nicola Boem in a three-rider sprint.

“Even if I had won, I would maybe find myself in this situation anyway,” he says. “You just have to look around to realize that even riders that are too strong for me are without a team. If someone like Santaromita was forced to emigrate to the UAE and ride for a continental team and Finetto is still without a team, it is no wonder. I'm a good domestique. I have shown that I have learned to do things right. I was the one who did most racing for the team (85 race days, ed.) and I usually supported the leaders. At 29 I think I still have room for improvement, but the time is what it is. We just have to say that it is every man for himself.

"Life goes on. The difficult situation for the sport is a mirror of what is happening more generally in our society. Cycling relies of sponsors. If companies are still not comfortable, we must take note. Personally, I am confident that my adventure in cycling will not end soon, but I still enrolled at the Faculty of Sport Sciences in Chieti. I'm studying because I am ready to take any job opportunity will come. I will also marry Marika next year. I have lots of projects but first of all let's see how this ends up. I'm waiting.”