'Bradley Wiggins contacted me via Instagram to race for his team'

Sir Bradley Wiggins used Instagram to sign his team's newest cyclist for 2017.

Italian Leonardo Fedrigo says he was surprised when he saw the notification, "It was Wiggins himself who wrote me a private message."

The 20-year-old from Verona will join French pursuit rider Corentin Ermenault next year in Team Wiggins.

The continental team, which began as a launch pad for developing British talent, has yet to announce its roster or a home rider for 2017.

Jon Dibben and Owain Doull already went through the Wiggins ranks and graduated, signing to ride for Team Sky in 2017. Mark Christian joined new Irish squad Aqua Blue.

Fedrigo started on the road and on the track, and won the national points race title in the beginners' category.

In the last two seasons with Cipollini Iseo, he won the Parabiago and Bagnolo di Nogarole Rocca road races.

Get behind the scenes with Team Wiggins

He began sending around his resume to potential teams and in August, looked at his smartphone to see a message from Sir Bradley Wiggins.

"It was Wiggins himself who wrote to me in private to see if I wanted to ride for his team," Fedrigo told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

"From Instagram, we went to e-mail. First with him and then with the team's manager, Andrew McQuaid, and Sports Director Simon Cope.

"I was already in contact with team Zalf-Fior, but after an offer like that..."

Fedrigo, six-foot-two and 75kg, already met with the team in Liverpool during the first week of December. The next gathering will be in Spain for a training camp.

He confessed, "I'm crazy about Wiggins, I've seen all the documentaries about him."

With Wiggins on his back, he should race among the professionals at the Dubai Tour and Coppi e Bartali stage race, and the major amateur races the U23 Giro d'Italia and the Giro della Valle d'Aosta.

Cycling Weekly understands that the under-23 British riders who rode with Team Wiggins in 2016 and have not moved to another squad for 2017 will stay with the team.