cyclingnews.com (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009
Lampre team manager Giuseppe Saronni puts his faith in Damiano Cunego for next season's one-day classics. 'The Damiano Cunego who won the Giro d'Italia in 2004 no longer exists," Saronni told Tuttosport . "The Lampre-Farnese staff and I consider him predominantly a rider for the Classics and we are satisfied with this new approach." Cunego won the 2004 Giro, but in recent years has...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009
Over the course of the 2009 cycling season, names like Menchov, Contador, Gilbert and Cavendish were synonymous with big time performance. These riders, and others came to the fore for their respective teams and delivered as trusted team leaders at some of the biggest bike races in the world. But other high profile riders fell short as team leaders. EP examines three riders who should be sent back...
Podium Cafe (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
Teams, riders, results, oh my! Here is the second part of the monster Chris created last week, an overview of the teams after the transfer season is all-but closed. The list follows no particular order, because that would be far, far too organized. Okay, let’s go. Lampre-Vini Farnese v. 2009. It was a forgettable season for Lampre this year. World Champion Alessandro Ballan lost most of his season...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 31/10/2009
Since the mass exodus of Lance Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel and a host of other talented cyclists from the Astana cycling team, the Kazakh-based squad has become a sort of refuge for riders who have had difficulty in past seasons. It seems as though many established, popular riders are staying far away from last season's most successful stage racing team, leaving management with no other choice but to...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
Damiano Cunego has finally seen the light . Citing "stress" as the determining factor for a change of approach in 2010, the punchy Italian climber has decided that trying for the GC at grand tours is too difficult. Instead, he'll focus on stage wins at the grand tours, and of course the usual one day classics in the spring and fall. A shrewd move, Cunego's new approach should see him have...
cyclingnews.com (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre) saw potential in the 2010 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milano on Saturday. He counted three or four stages he could win instead of thinking of how to win the overall classification. "It is too stressful," Cunego said to Cyclingnews about racing for the overall classification. "It is easier to aim for a particular stage. You can show yourself better...
VeloNews (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
The 93rd edition of the Giro d’Italia in 2010 will start in the Netherlands on May 8 before embarking on a 3,416.5km journey around the Italian peninsula and ending in Verona on May 30. That was the course unveiled in Milan on Saturday with 21 stages and plenty of tough climbs. Reigning champion Denis Menchov, the Russian Rabobank rider, was among the guests at the official presentation alongside...
cyclingnews.com (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009
Italian team Lampre-NGC signed Alessandro Spezialetti and Lorenzo Bernucci today, according to Tuttobiciweb . The two Italians join sprinter Alessandro Petacchi in making the jump from LPR Brakes. Lampre's star rider, Damiano Cunego, helped convince his team to offer a two-year contract to Spezialetti. "I already worked with him during my years at Saeco," said Spezialetti, 34. "Damiano...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 20/10/2009
Alessandro Petacchi has been one of the world's top sprinters for the last ten plus years, but recently he has not been able to match up against the best riders in the world in many of the biggest races due to being on a non-Pro Tour team. He rode for the LPR team over the past two seasons, and although he had good results throughout the year, he missed out on the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, and...
cyclingnews.com (Free subscription) | 18/10/2009
Damiano Cunego's attempt at a fourth Giro di Lombardia win yesterday in Como, Italy, failed for what he believes was lack of team Lampre support. "I need someone there to help me, I practically did it all on my own," Italy's Cunego told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Cunego, who finished 14th, said teammate Mauro Santambrogio failed to follow team orders in the final 20 kilometres, over the Civiglio...
cyclingnews.com (Free subscription) | 18/10/2009
Belgian Philippe Gilbert took his fourth consecutive win today in Como, Italy, thanks to the work of World Champion Cadel Evans and the rest of his Silence-Lotto team. Since finishing sixth behind Evans at the World Championships, Gilbert has raced and won Coppa Sabatini, Paris-Tours, Giro del Piemonte and today, Giro di Lombardia. "Matthew Lloyd set a good rhythm for me on the Civiglio climb,...
Podium Cafe (Free subscription) | 15/10/2009
It's time... one last piece for the Cafe Race Preview Bulletin Board, before the patrons settle in for a winter of endless nonsense (yay!). But for me, there is little to discuss besides the who. What and where? Read Gavia's course description (though avert your eyes before you get to the Jani photo). Here's a sampling: After another 25 kilometers of flat racing, the real Giro begins, and the final...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 14/10/2009
The final monument of the 2009 cycling season, the Giro di Lombardia, runs this Saturday in the beautiful Lombardy region in northern Italy. A star-studded field is ready to attack the hilly parcours , and the list of potential winners is long. Although Lampre's Damiano Cunego will be the strong favorite heading into the race as he searches for his fourth Lombardia title, there are a host of other...
Euro Peloton - Pro Cycling News (Free subscription) | 13/10/2009
Since our last post over a week ago, a lot has gone down in the cycling world. Although it has only been 11 days, it feels like a lifetime. Hopefully EP is back on track, ready to post again on a daily basis. Before we get back into our regular swing though, some comments on the last few days . . . Alberto Contador continues to wait on an answer as to where he'll ride in 2010, but it looks like he'll...
Podium Cafe (Free subscription) | 12/10/2009
Just a quick post on a rare day off -- from work, kids, etc., (translation: ride!) -- to ask the question that is on a lot of minds in the peloton just now. You can bet it's on Damiano Cunego's mind right now. He is well acquainted with the strength of Cadel Evans at the moment: Cunego was one of the protagonists struggling desperately to bridge up to Evans, in vain, over the last 3km of the Mendrisio...
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