Luca Damiani's "fund raiser" for Macon, GA.

Think it's easy to put a team together given the times & the lack of support?

This isn't NASCAR! It's cycling!

There is very little support and very few step up to the plate and give money to teams. You have to come up with ways to fund a team.

WN recieved a nasty email about the effort of the team or doing a fund raiser? They didn't even had the "guts" to post their name? I guess they are well known and don't want to be viewed as a "snake."

Funny "nasty" little sport, people want a race but don't care to support it, only dis on it?

I guess it would also be viewed wrong to rent a parking lot for a football game ro raise money for any cycling team.

God forbid, a cycling team raising money by fund raising!

Ever hear of a "Black Tie Fund Raiser." Even the Pro US Ski Team does fund raising.

You will have some ass doing a "He Ha."

Luca Damiani's season at risk over visa issue

Team launches 'FREE LUCA' fundraiser

Italian Luca Damiani's debut season with the Kenda team was at risk after he was denied a traveler's visa to enter the United States of America by the US Consulate in Milan, Italy on Tuesday. Damiani was expected to arrive in Stateside this month to begin his road racing season with team Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Gear Grinder in Macon, GA. WN is going to be there!

"The problem is the paperwork and now the team wants to have the athletes visa ready in time for the end of February," Damiani said. "This is a problem because it will cost more to have it done quickly. If everything is going OK, I should have my visa in time for the Macon, GA. training camp."

The US Consulate denied him the visa citing him as a possible immigration risk, according to Kenda Pro Cycling Team owner Chad Thompson. Chad informed WN that Damiani is taken care of at this time.

"Our attorney asked Luca to apply for a B1-B2, since we are not paying him a salary, instead of a P1 Visa that is a corporate," Thomson said. "They denied him because he does not have a stable paycheck or job in Italy nor own a home in Italy. So, the US Consulate officer thought he was an immigration risk.

Chad Thompson hired 'visa specialist' Michael Hoops of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP Attorneys at Law to complete the paper work for a P1 Visa for athletes and entertainers on Damiani's behalf. Costs of the P1 Visa reach as high as $3000 USD.

"Since he wasn't getting paid he opted to apply for a B1-B2 Visa and now that he's not getting that one he is getting a P1 Visa." Thompson said. "The P1 is in process we are confident it will be ready and he will be at camp on February 26. We've already purchased his flight tickets."

WN will have a staff of 4 on hand to take care of all the riders.

Damiani recently completed his European cyclo-cross season with the Italian National Team at the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships held in Tabor, Czech Republic.

Kenda Pro Cycling and MATTEO Studios have designed a 'FREE LUCA' t-shirt for sale on the Kenda Pro Cycling team website for $25 dollars. The proceeds will go toward the cost of Damiani's P1-Visa.

The 'FREE LUCA' T-shirts can be purchased at http://www.infernoracing.org/

Damiani is a long-time member of the Italian National Cyclo-Cross team. In 2008 he joined the US-based team Colavita-Sutter Home in a two-year contract before joining Kenda Pro Cycling in 2010. Damiani is best known for winning the CSC Invitation Criterium in 2008.