New year, same objective for Solution Tech NIPPO Rali. After concluding the past season just outside the top 30 of the annual UCI ranking, the Tuscan team led by Serge Parsani is setting itself up again in 2026 with the clear intention of achieving that placement in the team standings that would allow it to aim once more for a wildcard in the Grand Tours next year.

The mission, considering the totality and quality of rival teams, is certainly not one of the easiest, but the premises (see the victories achieved by Dusan Rajovic and Matteo Fabbro) are such that we can look with confidence at the many commitments on the calendar in the coming months when, traveling around the world, the Italian team will try to accumulate those victories and points necessary to improve on the 31st place of 2025.

To better discover how and with which riders the Italian team will seek to navigate successfully through the many appointments awaiting it, we turned to Filippo Fuochi, sports director who this year, having moved (by choice) to lead the youth division of Solution Tech, will continue to help the ProTeam squad when necessary.

Filippo, the competition to finish among the top 30 teams in the UCI ranking has increased: what type of choices have you made regarding the calendar?

"The calendar is quite similar to last season's, we have Tirreno-Adriatico instead of Milan-San Remo, but otherwise the structure isn't very different. We've also tried this year to identify those races where we can score points more easily compared to races where, if you find yourself with ten WorldTour teams at the start, it's more complicated to succeed in this type of operation: therefore, we will still race both abroad and in Italy and we will always do many races in Asia".

By the way, among the ProTeam formations, you have two more competitors this year...

"And they started off doing well, but the season is long and precisely for this reason, before examining the points situation, I think it's best to wait for everyone to have done a bit more activity. We, for example, haven't raced much because, after the first races of the season in France, the United Arab Emirates and Spain, we only competed in the Tour of Sardinia and only now are we beginning a crucial first part of our year. We'll see then, from here on, what direction things will take".

Have you still focused on riders seeking a comeback like Bonneu, Umba... Is it somewhat your mantra now when, during the transfer market, you find yourselves composing your squad?

"We can say yes. With Bonneu we got in touch after he was left stranded following the merger between Lotto and Intermarché and the same happened with Umba whom we contacted after he was excluded from the Astana project. For the calendar we've drawn up, with quite a few races in Asia and races that are, if you will, of "lower level", I think they are riders who suit us and have the qualities to do well".

Gazzoli also falls into this category I imagine.

"Yes, although with different characteristics compared to the others, he too can achieve good results. We hope that the Gazzoli of a few years ago returns".

From whom do you particularly expect a greater contribution in terms of victories and points?

"As a sprinter of his caliber, Rajović I believe can also bring a good number of victories to the cause this year, while in stage races with the names mentioned earlier we hope to do well. To these I would add that of Ben Granger who had been with me two years at Mg.K Vis and whose signing I strongly advocated for. He's a rider who, with the engine he has, if he's having a good day, even in important contexts like at Peccioli last year, can bring you an important result and, consequently, also those famous points".

As in 2025, this year too you won't be at the start of the Giro d'Italia, so what will your alternative program be during that period?

"Even without the Corsa Rosa, May will be quite a demanding month for us because we will be present in Turkey, Greece and Japan, for the Tour of Japan and the Tour de Kumano, but also at some .2 races in Italy where the objective will always be the same. In short, during the Giro period, our calendar will still be quite full".