Danilo Hondo is ready for the Giro d’Italia, which starts tomorrow in the Netherlands. The 36-year-old is tackling his fourth Corsa Rosa and is the lead-out man for Alessandro Petacchi in the Lampre team.
Petacchi has four wins so far this season and finished third in Milano-Sanremo. “Of course my job is primarily to assist Alessandro in all stages as well as possible, to bring him into position for the sprint or directly lead him out,” Hondo told Radsport News. The German believes Petacchi to be in good shape ahead of the Giro. “He is certainly one of the strongest sprinters in the field. He will have very good chances for stage wins,” Hondo said.
If the race situation permits it, Hondo will have a chance for himself. He has one season win so far and finished ninth in the Tour of Flanders. “If the situation makes it necessary or possible I will keep an eye out for my own chances.” But the star is the team. “When the squad is successful and I do my share, then I have reached my goals.”
There certainly does not appear to be a Greipel-Cavendish situation, and even though Hondo’s race program differed from Petacchi’s since Milano-Sanremo, he is hopeful all will work out. “Nothing should change our teamwork. I think we both know what’s important and we know each other very well by now.”
Hondo has shown in the Tour de Romandie that he is fast, finishing second to Mark Cavendish in stage two. “I had a break before Romandie, so I didn’t have much ambition, but I quickly realized I had good legs.”
The sprinting situation is figured out well at Lampre. Despite former overall winners Gilberto Simoni and Damiano Cunego in the team, the overall is less of a goal. “I can’t really evaluate the two very well,” Hondo said. “But Cunego rode great at the classics, I am sure he has one stage win or another in his mind. The general classification is not our primary goal.”