Italian Team to Worlds Announced



Powerful Pete

New Member
May 29, 2004
3,866
0
0
54
Nothing surprising, but now it is official:

Paolo Bettini
Danilo Di Luca
Davide Rebellin
Filippo Pozzato
Damiano Cunego
Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Bertolini
Marzio Bruseghin
Andrea Tonti
Vincenzo Nibali
Giovanni Visconti

The two reserves have yet to be decided.

IMHO, a few too many captains (the first six of the list). We shall have to see how they race. Hhhhmmmm.
 
Powerful Pete said:
Nothing surprising, but now it is official:

Paolo Bettini
Danilo Di Luca
Davide Rebellin
Filippo Pozzato
Damiano Cunego
Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Bertolini
Marzio Bruseghin
Andrea Tonti
Vincenzo Nibali
Giovanni Visconti

The two reserves have yet to be decided.

IMHO, a few too many captains (the first six of the list). We shall have to see how they race. Hhhhmmmm.

It's a pretty impressive list there, they should do very well.

-
 
lwedge said:
It's a pretty impressive list there, they should do very well.

-
Inshallah. Have you ever heard the saying about too many cooks...

With our national team there is always the risk of jealousies taking over. If they ran it correctly, one of these boys would take off on each lap of the second half of the race, then we see what other team tries to control the race and chase 'em.
 
Powerful Pete said:
Inshallah. Have you ever heard the saying about too many cooks...

With our national team there is always the risk of jealousies taking over. If they ran it correctly, one of these boys would take off on each lap of the second half of the race, then we see what other team tries to control the race and chase 'em.
I bet you'll have a Worlds winner out of this group.

2 donuts and a cup of coffee. ;)

-
 
lwedge said:
I bet you'll have a Worlds winner out of this group.

2 donuts and a cup of coffee. ;)

-
Fair enough. And hopefully he will win this year! But come on over, our espresso is excellent and out pasticceria mignon is good for the pre-ride energy loading!
 
Powerful Pete said:
Fair enough. And hopefully he will win this year! But come on over, our espresso is excellent and out pasticceria mignon is good for the pre-ride energy loading!
Oh that looks good ! I'll be right over.:D

lw
 
Powerful Pete said:
Nothing surprising, but now it is official:

Paolo Bettini
Danilo Di Luca
Davide Rebellin
Filippo Pozzato
Damiano Cunego
Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Bertolini
Marzio Bruseghin
Andrea Tonti
Vincenzo Nibali
Giovanni Visconti

The two reserves have yet to be decided.

IMHO, a few too many captains (the first six of the list). We shall have to see how they race. Hhhhmmmm.
Yes. Nibali and Visconti are inexperienced and more finishers than usual domestiques. I think DiLuca is best prospect.
 
Powerful Pete said:
Inshallah. Have you ever heard the saying about too many cooks...

With our national team there is always the risk of jealousies taking over. If they ran it correctly, one of these boys would take off on each lap of the second half of the race, then we see what other team tries to control the race and chase 'em.
What? Italian guys *****in' over who's the Prima Donna? I thought they were all behind-the-scenes type guys happy to shun the limelight.:D
 
Crankyfeet said:
What? Italian guys *****in' over who's the Prima Donna? I thought they were all behind-the-scenes type guys afraid of the limelight.:D
LOL. Yes, it is the national character. We are shy and very unwilling to step into the spotlights... :D:D:D:D
 
Powerful Pete said:
Nothing surprising, but now it is official:

Paolo Bettini
Danilo Di Luca
Davide Rebellin
Filippo Pozzato
Damiano Cunego
Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Bertolini
Marzio Bruseghin
Andrea Tonti
Vincenzo Nibali
Giovanni Visconti

The two reserves have yet to be decided.

IMHO, a few too many captains (the first six of the list). We shall have to see how they race. Hhhhmmmm.


No disrespect, PP - but isn't every Italian team full of captains?

I remember the 1996 squad - Bugno, Chiapucci, Ballerini, Tafi, Bartoli, Cippo :
and they all ended up racing each other!
On paper they're the pick - but unfortunately, we don't cycle on paper!
 
limerickman said:
No disrespect, PP - but isn't every Italian team full of captains?

I remember the 1996 squad - Bugno, Chiapucci, Ballerini, Tafi, Bartoli, Cippo :
and they all ended up racing each other!
On paper they're the pick - but unfortunately, we don't cycle on paper!
Yup Lim, I agree. I think it would have been much better to go with 2 captains with support riders for each guy.

I am particularly underwhelmed with the inclusion of Cunego, who has been getting dropped by everyone in the Vuelta. Oh well.
 
The Italians seem to be the favorites every year. Loaded with talent. A race I wished that recieved more media attention would be the Italian National Championships. Is it loaded with all the top one day Italians too?
The Italian championships might be right up there with some of the Classics if all the talent showed up.
 
When was the last time a single rider won Milano-San Remo and the Worlds in the same year?

Oh yeah, 2004 and it was OSCAR FREIRE.

Perfect bookends to his season... TWICE; that is my prediction.

(Yes Italian fans, Cipo did it too in '02)
 
wolfix said:
The Italians seem to be the favorites every year. Loaded with talent. A race I wished that recieved more media attention would be the Italian National Championships. Is it loaded with all the top one day Italians too?
The Italian championships might be right up there with some of the Classics if all the talent showed up.
The Italian championships tend to be 'uneven'. The race is usually very hard, in a very rough bit of the season, with (usually) very, very, very hot weather. So everyone starts it, but when things shake out a great many riders DNF. So some years it is very exciting, while in others it makes you wonder.
 
DiabloScott said:
When was the last time a single rider won Milano-San Remo and the Worlds in the same year?

Oh yeah, 2004 and it was OSCAR FREIRE.

Perfect bookends to his season... TWICE; that is my prediction.

(Yes Italian fans, Cipo did it too in '02)
That is a good call, given the way he was riding in the Vuelta until he retired. If he can keep that kind of shape through the World's, then he will be one tough customer. Hhhm.
 
Crankyfeet said:
Daniele Bennati is none-too-impressed with his exclusion. Methinks he has a case.
Methinks is right. But part of the selection charm of the Italian team year after year is the exclusion of a very good rider.
But hey, D Bennati showed them today.
 
Yup. I would have left Cunego home and taken Bennati along. But that's just me. And I am not the DS for the national team.
 
Powerful Pete said:
Yup. I would have left Cunego home and taken Bennati along. But that's just me. And I am not the DS for the national team.
Surely there's too much climbing for Benna - that's the stated reason for leaving him out.
 
Rolfrae said:
Surely there's too much climbing for Benna - that's the stated reason for leaving him out.
Yes, but he really is in fabulous form. His race orders should be to hang at the back of the group for the entire race, wait for the last lap, and if it does come down to a small peloton sprint, go for it.

Someone like Cunego has shown very little good form lately, and is being taken on name alone, IMHO.

Why not take the risk?
 

Similar threads