If you believe the speculations of the Spanish magazine Biciciclismo, then Fernando Alonso will join forces with Team Cannondale next season. The report points out that the team, named Alonso Cannondale will trade. The reason for the merger is the alleged departure of Slovakian Peter Sagan, whose contract with Cannondale expires at the end of the year and who has often been associated with Alonso in recent weeks. The merger would therefore be beneficial for both parties. The bike manufacturer could keep its current brand face with Sagan and Alonso would be able to plan with a WorldTour license right from the start.
At the end of last season, those responsible for the Cannondale team had already consulted with the Russian Oleg Tinkov. However, the merger failed at the time. Meanwhile, Tinkov bought the Saxo-Tinkoff team. For his part, Alsono had expressed interest in buying the Basque team Eusklatel-Euskadi. But this deal didn't materialize either. Against this background, the merging of Cannondale's and Alonso's interests makes sense. In addition, the team, whose formation is currently being determined by Paolo Bettini, could attract some of the sport's top stars. In particular, drivers such as Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), Samuel Sánchez (BMC) and the Portuguese Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) were named as possible drivers.