BiciRace.com :: News :: February 2006

News :: February 2006

11 February 2006

Lampre-Fondital's New Pullman

Team by Bus, photo: Lampre-Fondital

The blue-pink Lampre-Fondital boys will be relaxing in a new pullman this race season (ok, bus or coach in English). The pullman, provided by Wilier, made its debut in the Vuelta a Murcia this last week and will be used at most major races in 2006.

The rig is a new Scania that has been modified and kitted for the Lampre-Fondital Squadra. Inside there are three showers, one bathroom, two small sofas, a kitchen (with an espresso machine), a refrigerator, two televisions, one washing machine and storage for bicycles and other equipment.

The Blue-Pink Pullman, photo: Lampre-Fondital

The pullman's first appearance in public was last week during the team camp in Montecatini. Damiano Cunego and Alessandro Ballan were the first two riders that toured the inside. The boys were impressed. They used the dressing rooms and enjoyed a caffè before going on a training ride.

Sanremo Test-Run this Sunday

Riders in the Tour Méditerranéen will have a chance to test the final run-in of La Classicissima, Milano-Sanremo, this Sunday. The stage six of the race will cover the same parcours as the upcoming Milano-Sanremo (less than 40 days away).

The 111K stage will start and finish in Sanremo. Riders will depart from Piazza Cesare Battisti in the direction of Imperia, when arriving in Andora they will start a circuit to be repeated three times. Then for the return to Sanremo there will be four categorized climbs: Capo Cervo, Capo Berta, Cipressa and the Poggio. After the final climb, Poggio, the riders will be famed ribbon-like descent before reaching the Via Roma and Piazza Cesare Battisti.

The names to watch will be Erik Zabel (Milram), four-time winner in the Milano-Sanremo, Aussie Bradley McGee (Française Des Jeux), Mirko Celestino (Milram), who will be racing on home roads, Iván Gutiérrez (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears) and Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole), both of whom will be hoping to gain overall Méditerranéen victory.

Petacchi and Boonen for Andalucía

Petacchi and Milram, photo: Rodella

Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) is on his way to Spain where he will take part in the Vuelta a Andalucía (12 - 16 February). It will be the second outing of the year for the Italian sprinter, who won last week's GP Costa degli Etruschi, but will be the first face-off with Tom Boonen (Quick-Step).

The World Champion, photo: Quick-Step

The two lead-out trains will bore down the finishing straights in Andalucía, or "Ruta del Sol", gunning for sprint supremacy. Petacchi will be protected by Marco Velo, Alberto Ongarato, Maarten Den Bakker, Simone Cadamuro, Christian Knees and Fabio Sacchi, and Boonen will be in the hands of Matteo Tosatto, Kevin Hulsmans, Guido Trenti, Serge Baguet, Wilfried Cretskens and Steven De Jongh.

Read:
Petacchi Still Refining Treno Milram, 6 February
Petacchi Develops Milram Train, 3 February
Treno Blu Takes Tom 4 for 4, 2 February

10 February News ...