Guderzo, Cooke and Bastianelli join forces in formidable new squad
Tatiana Guderzo, Nicole Cooke and Marta Bastianelli, the World champions of 2009, 2008 and 2007 respectively, will be joining forces in the jersey of the new MCipollini-Giordana team, according to Cicloweb.it. The team, sponsored by the bike business of former super-sprinter Mario Cipollini and cycle clothing company Giordana will be led by Walter Ricci Petitoni, the former head of the Selle Italia-Ghezzi team that folded at the end of 2009.
The three senior rainbow jerseys will be joined by 2009 World junior champion Rossella Callovi, Italian champion Monia Baccaille, Marta Tagliaferro, Rossella Gobbo, Samantha Galassi, Elisa Frisoni, former Swiss champion Jennifer Hohl and Russian Yulia Blindiuk.
Like Guderzo and Baccaille’s current team, Valdarno, the MCipollini-Giordana team is connected to the Fiamme Azzure, the sports team of the Italian Prison Service
“Through this partnership between the Fiamme Azzure and MCipollini-Giordana we’ve taken a step of great importance because for the first time all of our athletes will be racing on the road with the same team,” said Francesco Pennisi of the Fiamme Azzurre.
“For us the primary objective is Olympic qualification,” he explained, “and that is why it is very important to draw up a program of training and racing that can make the most of all the girls.
“In addition, this team will be immediately one of the best in the world, but the goal is several years and the intention is to grow and improve year after year. We can always race at a high level against the strongest, and together with a champion such as Nicole Cooke will be a great stimulus for Guderzo, Baccaille, Bastianelli, Tagliaferro and also Frisoni; although she will be increasingly focused on the track.
“This is a project of great importance and we hope it can last a long time,” he added.
After seeing her Vision1 team collapse in her rainbow jersey year, then racing for the Great Britain national team in 2010, Cooke is pleased to have found a strong team to ride for once more.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this team which has big ambitions over the coming years,” said the 2008 World and Olympic champion, “the mixture of riders helps us to be competitive in all styles of races through out the season and I’m looking forward to riding together with all the girls.”