Balocco Will Sponsor Giro d'Italia's Pink Jersey For At Least Two Years

The organizers of the Giro d'Italia have revealed biscuit producer Balocco will take over as the new sponsor for the race leader's pink jersey for '13 and '14. Ferrero brand Estathè had been the long-term sponsor of the pink jersey. Balocco has been the away strip sponsor of Juventus for the last two years but opted to invest in cycling after CEO Alberto Balocco spent a day on the race. The company's logo will appear on the chest, sides and back of the pink jersey produced by Santini. Balocco has decided to invest in professional cycling despite the recent doping scandals and fear in Italy about the outcome of the Padua police investigation. Alberto Balocco said, "There's always a risk in anything you do, but we're convinced that we've made the right choice. I've seen that the testing is severe and gives little chance to anyone who thinks of cheating. We've signed a two-year contract, with an option for a third year. We're not interested in a short-term sponsorship, we want people to remember our name." The 2013 Giro d'Italia starts from Naples on May 4 (Giro d'Italia).