Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Farnese Vini) is fighting ahead towards Paris-Nice despite a crash in the Vuelta a Andalucía last week.
“I have had to do it other times, at the 2008 Tour de France when I crashed and at the Vuelta a España in 2007,” said Cunego. “With a little bit of strength and will you can deal with it.”
Cunego crashed in the third stage of Andalucía, in Benahavis, Monday. He immediately returned home to Verona to recover, where after one day, he decided to race this weekend in the GP Insubria and the GP Lugano.
“Day-by-day, I am making progress: first holding the handlebars, then changing gears and I was able to do it all today [yesterday – ed.], but when the road was rough, I felt it.”
He raced yesterday’s GP Insubria from Campione d’Italia to Pieve Vergonte, but pulled out prior to the finish. This morning, at the start of the GP Lugano, he reported that he is feeling even better.
“I was behind in my racing days,” he explained. “I preferred to race this weekend without the pressure to win or for a result. I need races for rhythm in this moment. I hope, day-by-day, my arm will get better.”
Paris-Nice, which begins in only seven days, had been one of Cunego’s pre-season goals, but now he may be there only to build for País Vasco and the Ardennes Classics.
“I don’t want to leave anything to risk and I will do what I need to do. Unfortunately, this crash put me behind a little, but I will get over it.”