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21 September 2005

22 September News ...

2005 Squadra Azzurra Profile

Simoni Will Race With Ferretti

Yesterday in Verona Gilberto Simoni signed for one year (2006) with the new squadra of Gianluca Ferretti. The Iron Sergeant will have a new international sponsor (possibly IKEA or SonyEricsson), and he will almost certainly retain his ProTour license that he had as Team Manager of Fassa Bortolo. The management and technical structure of the new squadra will be the same as that of Fassa Bortolo. Along with Ferretti will be the DS's Volpi and Cenghialta.

Simoni at one point was linked with Cofidis and Patrick Lefevere's Quick-Step. The 2X Giro d'Italia champion has ridden under Ferretti before, in 1997 he rode as part of MG-Technogym. Simoni was the first to sign, and now there are a number of riders expected of follow: Cristian Moreni, Salvatore Commesso and Andrea Tonti. The other big name that might join the squadra is Aussie Stuart O'Grady.

Read:
Time Running out for Simoni and Ferretti, 8 September
Ferretti and Simoni Join Forces, 1 September
Simoni Joins Quick-Step, 20 August
Lampre-Caffita Break-up The Band, 10 August
Simoni to Quick-Step or Cofidis, 3 August
Simoni Looks to Quick-Step, 2 August
Fassa Bortolo to Merge with Lampre-Caffita, 16 July

Filippo Pozzato Is Ousted

Filippo Pozzato may be one of the two Italians not to make the Squadra Azzurra for the World Championships. Yes it is true that Pippo won the HEW-Cyclassics at the end of July, but that may not be enough. Between Pippo and Alessandro Petacchi there exists a slight row. Last year the 24 year-old left the squadra of Fassa Bortolo, Petacchi's team, and went over to Quick-Step. Pippo does not talk much about the departure, but instead focuses on the current season. This silence leads the tifosi to believe there is tension between the two ex-Fassa mates.

Italian DS, Franco Ballerini, has to narrow the selection of 11 riders down to nine. Alessandro Ballan is one of the two names that is already destined to sit out the race on Sunday. The other rider not racing will most likely be one of these three: Bernucci, Pozzato or Paolini. Bernucci has a lot of pull with his teammate, Petacchi. Ale-Jet has indicated that he does not want Bernucci left out of the nine-man squadra. Then there is Paolini, he will be Bettini's main helper, all the other riders will be dedicated to Petacchi.

"Obviously I want to race and contribute to the victory of an Italian," explained Pippo. "The Worlds and Sanremo are the races of my dreams, and this year I don't want to have to miss both ... I went well at the Italian nationals, then at the Tour of Poland, when it was asked, I demonstrated that I had the legs to win. It would be a pity if it is discovered that it was all for nothing since the plans have changed."

Read:
2005 Squadra Azzurra Profile, 20 September
Filippo Pozzato Takes Lazio, 7 August

Boonen Fires First Shot

Tomorrow Tom Boonen leaves for Madrid for the World Championships. Boonen will captain the Belgian team on the streets of Madrid, hoping to do what he was not able to do the Vuelta a España, beat Alessandro Petacchi. "I can motivate myself no longer hit roads for training, the Worlds arrive so gradually .. But I am ready, for that one day I will be motivated," said Boonen. "Thursday I leave for Madrid, where I will explore the parcours."

Tom Boonen has been hearing a lot about Petacchi being the sprinter beat, but he sees his rival different than he was in the spring. "The Petacchi of Milano-Sanremo was super. But what about the Petacchi of now? I don't know." For the winner of this year's Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix it would be quite special to take the rainbow jersey.

Madrid World Championships, 22 & 25 September
Main Worlds Page
Time Trial, TT Profile, TT Overall Map, TT Startlist
Road Race, RR Profile, RR Overall Map, RR Startlist

20 September News ...