Emerging Italian rider will aim for Flèche Wallonne and best young rider in Giro d’Italia
Lampre-ISD announced yesterday that it has resigned Diego Ulissi for another season, and the Italian will spend his fourth professional year with the Italian squad. The 22-year-old has progressed steadily in his two and half years with the team, and he now looks forward to particular goals next season.
Ulissi got his biggest career result last season in the Giro d’Italia, taking stage 17 in Tirano. He also took the overall victory in the Tour of Slovenia. Ulissi has two wins this year, both coming in the Settimana Coppi e Bartali. And he made perhaps his biggest announcement of his potential in the spring, placing ninth in the Flèche Wallonne and 21st overall in the Giro d’Italia.
The Italian expressed his pleasure at being offered a fourth season with Lampre-ISD on Monday.
“I spent three years full of happiness, and more importantly, it was very pleasant with their regard for the human side,” Ulissi said of his current team. “It’s not so simple for a neo-pro to feel at ease in joining the professional world, but I hadn’t had any problems of the kind, because everyone in the team was great in supporting me and helping me to reach results.
“That why I’m sure I made the best choice to keep on wearing the colors of blue and fuchsia for 2013. It’s so amazing to be in a team full of people with a passion for cycling – their presence was important in my decision to stay with Lampre-ISD.”
Ulissi has already set his sights on next season, naming some primary targets for his racing programme.
“My targets for the future are some victories before the end of the season, and participation in the World Championships,” he said. “Then, if I need to indicate a challenging goal, I will point to the Flèche Wallonne and the white jersey in the Giro d’Italia.”
Should he be selected to his team’s roster for the Tour de France, Ulissi will turn just 23 years old during the middle of the race. But regardless, the Italian seems to have a bright future ahead.