By Susan Westemeyer

Team Barloworld is holding its training camp in Cast𒁃agneto Carducci, Italy, until February 10. Activities include tra💟ining sessions, meetings to arrange schedules, and the development of marketing and communication strategies, the team reports.

The team boasts seven new rider♌s, of whom the best known is probab෴ly Robert Hunter, 30, "considered the most talented South African rider," now riding for the South African sponsored team for the first time. Other big name newcomers include Fabrizio Guidi and Geraint Thomas, a track world champion who will be trying his luck on the road.

One rider is💛 missing from the camp: Félix Cárdenas of Colombia, who is suffering from a viral infection caused by a tropi🅠cal bug bite, the team noted.

Barloworld will open its European season at the GP Etruschi on February 10. It has already ap🥃peared this year in the Tour Down Under, where it "confirmed itself as a skilled𒆙 and ambitious squad."

2007 T▨eam: Alexander Efimkin (Rus - 02/12/1981), Diego Caccia (Ita - 31/07/1981), Enrico Degano (Ita - 11/03/1976), Fabrizio Guidi (Ita - 13/04/1972), Félix Rafael Cárdenas (Col - 24/11/1972), Geraint Thomas (GBr - 25/05/1986), Giampaolo Cheula (Ita - 23/05/1979), Giosuè Bonomi (Ita - 21/10/1978), Hugo Sabido (Por - 14/12/1979), James Perry (RSA - 19/11/1979), John-Lee Augustyn (RSA - 10/08/1986), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr - 09/08/1982), Mauricio Soler (Col - 14/01/1983), Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita - 10/12/1980), Pedro Arreitunandia (Spa - 24/07/1974), Robert Hunter𒈔 (RSA - 22/04/1977) and Ryan Cox (RSA - 09/04/1979).