The 2026 season is now archived for most, but not entirely for Solution Tech-NIPPO-Rali. Due to sponsor requirements, the Italian team will participate on November 8th in the Tour de Okinawa in Japan, the last appointment of the calendar year. An effort that is made willingly nonetheless, given that the season concluded in the best possible way. We spoke about it with the general manager, Serge Parsani.

Serge, Top 30 objective achieved. Can we say it was a successful season?

«Last year we finished 31st and we were quite disappointed about it, because we would have liked to enter the wildcard game for the Giro. This year we moved well and already by summer we were fairly confident, consistently staying between 25th and 27th position. So yes, we can certainly consider it a good season».

Logistically it was an expensive season, you traveled the world hunting for points.

«There's no other way to do it. For Italian WorldTour races we were little considered, they only invited us to Strade Bianche and Tirreno Adriatico, and abroad there are other teams that have priority. So we went looking for races that could earn us points for this blessed UCI ranking. Furthermore, we have a Japanese sponsor like NIPPO and a Panamanian one like Rali, so it was our duty to go racing in these countries and continents. We never have certainty about where we'll race, often invitations for WorldTour or ProSeries races come a month before the start, so we have to move around to guarantee a calendar for the guys anyway. Cycling now reaches every corner of the world and every team makes its own calculations about where to go to score points. In my opinion, it no longer makes sense to complain because a team went racing here or there. I can't say I like it, but this is today's cycling».

But you did your math well.

«Yes, in the end we close with 35 race wins, although obviously not all at a high level. Dušan Rajović was the second most winning rider in the world, behind only Pogačar, we're in 10th place among teams with the most wins and, as mentioned, 26th in the UCI ranking. In short, we worked well, yet this doesn't guarantee us any invitations».

Is there confidence in being able to secure a wildcard for the 2027 Giro d'Italia?

«We have to wait, it would be very important for us. Also because if we consider affiliation, structures, sponsors, licenses, etc., we are the most Italian team of all, excluding Bardiani, which unfortunately won't be able to do the Giro. But I fear that until the beginning of next year we won't have any certainty».

Can this continuous uncertainty create problems with sponsors?

«I know for certain that if we were sure right now about doing the Giro our budget would be higher, but unfortunately it's not like that. And there's another aspect to consider: if you do the Giro you hardly have the strength and structure to go racing elsewhere at the same time. Instead of gaining, you risk losing points, as happened to Bardiani this year. We live in anomalous cycling».

Chapter on riders: Rajović was a sharpshooter this year.

«Yes, he won 17 races and brought us a lot of points. He'll stay with us, because he's doing well, knows the environment well, feels like a leader, and knows he'll be able to have a calendar suited to him. He'll still be one of our main drivers, along with another guy...».

Pozzovivo?

«Exactly. Despite his age he has a professionalism that many forget about. He leaves nothing to chance, from every point of view. I define him as a perfect cyclist, because he's also polite and respectful, a true example for the younger riders. And he also brought us results and points, and I would be happy for him too if we managed to get an invitation to the Giro. I'm convinced he could have his say, even at 44 years old».

What can you tell us about the 2027 team?

«It's under construction. We've confirmed 12-13 riders from last year, and now we're sounding out the market to get to a roster of 20 riders. We're getting a lot of requests - the Giro option appeals to many - and the teams that closed like Equipo Kern Pharma, Flanders Baloise and TotalEnergies, on which there's a question mark, have left valid riders without a team. We receive proposals and emails from agents every day. Our market is still long».