Eleven riders named by Spanish squad from which nine will be chosen
Movistar has released an eleven-rider long list for next month’s Giro d’Italia, from which the nine starters will be selected. While neither are named as definite starters, the team will very likely be led by the duo of last year’s runner up David Arroyo and 2008 third place Marzio Bruseghin.
The eleven riders, as well as Juan Mauricio Soler, Enrique Sanz, Jesus Herrada and Chente García Acosta, have been training on the Circuito de Navarra-Los Arcos raceway to prepare for the team time trial, which opens the Corsa Rosa on May 7th.
“We count on the experience of two riders like Arroyo and Bruseghin, who already know what climbing onto the Giro’s podium is like,” explained team manager Eusebio Unzué. “That gives you tranquillity, because they are two riders that have gained confidence. We don’t disregard any result, I wish we could repeat last year’s result, but we have to be realistic and realize the high level the race will have, equal or superior to the Tour’s.
“Apart from these two,” he continued, “we will have experienced riders aboard, such as [Vasil] Kiryienka or [Pablo] Lastras, and a group of youngsters like [Sergio] Pardilla, [Andrey] Amador… that can do well. I’m sure we will play a good role there.”
Much of the training session was to concentrate on aerodynamics and riding in formation; with so few team time trials in the calendar, many riders don’t get to ride team time trials very often.
“Now that it’s finished, I’m sure this has been the best way to analyse and improve the technique of team time trialling, said Bio-mechanic Jon Iriberri, who had already spent time with the riders in the vélodrome, working on their time trial positions. “This is a sort of race you have few opportunities to train for, and the characteristics of this circuit, with many turns and strong winds, gives us a better chance to correct details and make riders realize the importance of leaving a spot into the line or taking a bad curve in a group of nine.
“We’ll be checking all videos thoroughly and try to make this have an impact by the start of the Giro,” he concluded.
Movistar long list for the Giro d’Italia:
David Arroyo, Marzio Bruseghin, Vasil Kiryienka, Pablo Lastras, Sergio Pardilla, Andrey Amador, Luis Pasamontes, Fran Ventoso, Carlos Oyarzun, Javier Iriarte and Branislau Samoilau