Team Barloworld will continue into the 2009 season with hopes of forgetting an embarrassing doping scandal during the Tour de France and hinging its hopes on a bevy of young riders.

The South African sponsor initially said it would end its three-year backing of the Italian-based, Britain-registered team after Spanish rider Moises Dueñas tested positive for EPO during the 2008 Tour.

The title sponsor changed its mind and decided to keep the Barloworld logo on the team’s jerseys for 2009. The team has finalized its roster for 2009 with 16 riders with a heavy emphasis on the squad’s fast-improving youngsters.

“In the last two years we’ve achieved excellent results that could have justified us continuing the same strategy but we feel it’s the right moment to make a change in direction” team manager Claudio Corti said in a release. “Knowing we have extremely talented young riders in the team, we’ve decided to give them a chance to show what they can do. In the past we’ve proved we can help riders rebuild their careers but now we’re going to focus our development skills and management experience to help our young riders emerge and be successful.”

The team has only signed one rider for next season, 24-year-old Italian sprinter Michele Merlo.

Team veterans Mauricio Soler and Robbie Hunter will be back to carries the squad’s hopes in the grand tours, with Hunter bucking for sprint victories and Soler keen to forget his injury-plagued 2008 season and regain the form that carried him to the best climber’s jersey in the 2007 Tour.

Other riders the team is counting on are Britain’s Stephen Cummings, Patrick Calcagni, Gianpaolo Cheula and Francesco Bellotti, who will return from a string of injuries.

Felix Cárdenas will again use his experience for the good of the team, as will Paolo Longo Borghini, Marco Corti, Diego Caccia and Carlo Scognamiglio.

Emerging stars John Lee Augustyn, Chris Froome, Daryl Impey and Geraint Thomas will expect to see more opportunities in 2009.

“Thomas deserves a special mention following his gold medal success with the Great Britain team pursuit squad on the track at the Beijing Olympics,” Corti said. “He will now focus on the road and we’re convinced he can do well. He’s an excellent team player and of a course a very good time trialist.”