Blue-fuchsia team prepared for any eventuality in la Primavera
Lampre-ISD will start Saturday’s Milano-Sanremo with a two-headed team, led by 2005 winner Alessandro Petacchi, and three time Giro di Lombardia winner Damiano Cunego. The blue-fuchsia team therefore feels that it is prepared for any eventuality in the race, with Cunego ready for the attacks on the coastal ‘Capi’ hills that pepper the final 50km of the course. Petacchi will have the team’s sprint train at his disposal in the far from unlikely event of the peloton arriving on the Lungomare Italo Calvino finishing straight all together.
Although Petacchi was forced to withdraw from this week’s Tirreno-Adriatico with health problems, the sprinter from La Spezia has performed two intensive training sessions since and is confident ahead of Saturday’s race.
“The team has what it takes to be competitive and ready for all the different race situations,” said general manager Giuseppe Saronni. “We’re all happy that Petacchi has been working intensively after the problems he had during Tirreno-Adriatico; during the race, he’ll need to use his experience more than in the past, but his presence will be an important encouragement for all of his teammates.
“We are also very happy with the presence of Cunego, who finished Paris-Nice in good form,” he added. “He’ll really have the chance to perform a good race.”
As well as its two captains, the team will also be armed with 22-year-old 2011 Giro d’Italia stage winner Diego Ulissi, who will be given a free rein, and Matteo Bono is expected to ride an aggressive race.
Lampre-ISD team for Milano-Sanremo
Grega Bole, Matteo Bono, Davide Cimolai, Damiano Cunego, Danilo Hondo, Alessandro Petacchi, Diego Ulissi and Davide Viganò