The Team MBH Bank Ballan CSB Colpack has officially announced the addition of a new athlete to their roster, and it's a surprising comeback. Turin native Fabio Felline, born in 1990, is returning to race with the Italo-Hungarian formation led by Antonio Bevilacqua, Gabor Deak, and the Ballan, D'Aprile, and Colleoni families.

This is an unexpected return for a rider who has won 14 races, participated in 15 Grand Tours (Giro, Tour, and Vuelta), worn the blue jersey, started in monument classics, and won the points classification at the 2016 Vuelta.
In reality, this is a return, as Felline, now a father, had already worn this jersey in 2009 with UC Bergamasca - De Nardi. Technically, he is a rider suited to nervous routes, with a good sprint. He is 1.75 m tall with a race weight of 68 kg.

STATEMENTS: It's up to Antonio Bevilacqua to explain this operation, which could be an important piece of the future project.

"I understood that Fabio still wanted to be a cyclist and has been living the professional life for some time. He had the opportunity to pause for a moment after his World Tour experience and make his considerations. With us, he will have the chance to prove his value, from when he feels ready, until the end of the season. At that point, we will make the appropriate evaluations. We are always open to challenges and opportunities, especially because his experience is valuable and beyond question".

Here are Felline's thoughts. "I stopped racing with a bitter taste, due to dynamics that were not dependent on me. I felt I still had something to give, but I needed the right project. I was born cycling-wise in this group: for me, it's like closing a circle, with the team that launched me and to which I would have wanted to give more. (I turned professional at 19, after two victories). It's a return that has a romantic flavor, it's true, but inside me, I have clear personal and team objectives that I have shared with the team. I'm not setting limits and I don't hide that I would like to earn trust for a longer-term project. I've been working seriously since the idea of returning was born, after the Coppi and Bartali race."