Fernando Alonso to Launch Cycling Team at Tour De France

The two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso is accelerating plans to launch a world-class professional cycling team. 

The Spaniard recently announced that he was to buy the struggling Spanish team Euskaltel-Euskadi, but a deal could not be reached and negotiations broke down last month.

The Ferrari driver now intends to set up his own team for 2015. Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Alonso’s manager, Luis Garcia Abad, said the plans for the new team are already in progress.

Abad said that some sponsors have already agreed deals and the team will launch on the first rest day of the 2015 Tour de France.

Abad added: “Fernando has said he wants to bring the best of Formula One to cycling, and vice versa.

“This means technology, research, marketing, promotion, new tools such as telemetry, a medical centre.

“The intention is to do something new and avoid the problem of doping.

He also said the sponsors of Alonso’s team will be new to cycling, but denied reports that the Ferrari sponsor Banco Santander will be involved.

“It’s better to keep the business of F1 and cycling separate,” he said.