BiciRace.com :: News :: November 2005

News :: November 2005

2 November 2005

Damiano Cunego and Lampre Schedules

Cunego After Japan, photo: CyclingTime.com

Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Caffita) approaches this winter more relaxed and a year older. In 2004 Cunego had his grand debut on the cycling scene by winning two of cycling's monuments: the Giro d'Italia and the Giro di Lombardia. For the 24 year-old it was a lot of stress, having to deal with constant appointments and the pressure to repeat his performances.

This winter the Piccolo Principe is determined not to repeat last year's mistakes. He now has a small family (with the birth of his daughter this past summer) and is a year wiser. This past season was a year of difficulties due to mononucleosis, but the Verona rider slowly came back, ending with a win in the Japan Cup. The victory was a great way to start the off-season for Cunego, who will be back training on the bike 15 December.

Tentative Schedule:
Training and Camps: Team meeting in Montecatini Terme to receive gear and medical checks (30 November - 3 December), Cunego back on the bike (15 December), team training camp in Terracina (14 - 26 January), and finally a second team training camp (6 - 18 February).

Racing: Like 2005, Kid Cunego will make his debut in the Clasica de Almeria (26 February). He will then stay in Spain for the Vuelta a Murcia (March 1 - 5), before returning to Italy for the Milano-Sanremo (18 March).

Training and Reconnaissance: After Milano-Sanremo Cunego plans for a period of training and previewing some of the key stages of the Giro d'Italia.

Racing to Giro: The plan is for a return to racing with the Giro del Trentino (18 - 21 April) and/or the Tour de Romandie (25 - 30 April). Added with these races will be some Italian classics and/or Belgian classics, but this schedule is still to be determined. This takes Cunego all the way to the Giro d'Italia (6 - 28 May), the big season objective.

Read: Japan Cup Sees True Cunego, 24 October

Lampre-(Caffita or Fondital) Changes

Lampre Rides Wilier for 2006, photo: BiciRace.com

In the next week we will know the second sponsor for Lampre: The team will be known as either Lampre-Caffita or Lampre-Fondital. Caffita is the current (2005) sponsor that may or may not continue next season. The other option is Fondital, a heating and cooling company based in Brescia. One of the divisions of Fondital is Valsir, which is the current second sponsor for Barloworld-Valsir. If Fondital joins then we could see the arrival of the former World Champion, Igor Astarloa.

The other change for Lampre in 2006 will be the machines that power them to victory. Gone is the American bicycle, Cannondale, after a long association with Saeco and then Lampre. For next year Il Piccolo Principe and his posse will ride on Wilier Triestina bikes. Wilier has a long history in racing: Fiorenzo Magni won the Giro in 1948 using their frames.

New Riders to Join Lampre:
Claudio Corioni (from Fassa Bortolo)
Danilo Napolitano (from Team LPR)
Marzio Bruseghin (from Fassa Bortolo)
Matteo Bono (neo-pro)
Mauro Santambrogio (from Team LPR)
Morris Possoni (neo-pro)
Paolo Tiralongo (from Panaria-Navigare)
Tadej Valjavec (from Phonak)

Maybe Will Join (or renew):
Fabio Baldato (Fassa Bortolo)
Gianluca Bortolami (Lampre-Caffita)
Igor Astarloa (Barloworld-Valsir)
Marius Sabaliauskas (Lampre-Caffita)
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo)
Ruggero Marzoli (Acqua & Sapone)
Salvatore Commesso (Lampre-Caffita)

Current Riders:
Alessandro Ballan
Damiano Cunego
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Righi
David Loosli
Enrico Franzoi
Evgeni Petrov
Gorazd Stangelj
Marco Marzano
Paolo Fornaciari
Patxi Vila
Sylvester Szmyd

Leaving the Blue and Pink Colors:
Alessandro Spezialetti (to Liquigas-Bianchi)
Andrea Tonti (to ??)
Andreas Matzbacher (to ??)
Dario Pieri (to Team LPR)
Eddy Mazzoleni (to T-Mobile)
Gerrit Glomser (Retire)
Gilberto Simoni (to Saunier Duval-Prodir)
Giosuè Bonomi (to ??)
Giuliano Figueras (to Acqua & Sapone)
Juan Fuentes (to ??)
Michele Scotto D'Abusco (to Ceramica Flaminia)
Morris Possoni (to ??)
Oleksandr Kvachuk (to ??)
Samuele Marzoli (to Team LPR)

Read:
Lampre and SonyEricsson Team Movements, 8 October
Gil, Valjavec and Astarloa to Lampre-Caffita, 20 August

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