Damiano Cunego considered to lead the Italian team at the 2012 World Championships
Damiano Cunego might lead the Italian National team during the World Championships 2012.
Former Italian champion and the coach of the current Italian team Paolo Bettini is convinced that Cunego can do the job for his side.
Bettini told Gazzetta dello Sport, “In London, the team is a little blocked up, we’ll have five riders, but whoever does the time trial must also do the road race, while Viviani might also manage the double commitment”.
Damiano had a tremendous run of form during the last season and grabbed the first position during the Giro dell’Appennino 2011.
He also finished 2nd overall at the Tour de Suisse, 3rd overall at the Giro di Sardegna and 7th during the most prestigious race of the previous year, Tour de France.
Cunego has not opened his 2012 winning account yet but managed to grab the podium during the Gran Premio di Lugano.
The 30-year-old started riding professionally with Team Saeco Macchine per Caffe-Longoni Sport in 2002 and stayed with the side for a period of three years.
He accepted an offer from Team Lampre-ISD in 2005 and is continuing his eighth consecutive season with the side.
Cunego holds as many as fifteen Grand Tour appearances under his belt, seven Giros, four Tours and four Vuelta participations to his credit.
His best performance during the race is the overall victory at the Giro d’ Italia 2004, which is also his only overall win at the Grand Tours.
Paolo is currently present in Venturina and is leading a training camp, including a number of cyclists from different professional teams.
Filippo Pozzato, Enrico Battaglin, Marco Coledan, Sacha Modolo, Manuel Belletti, Fabio Felline, Eugenio Alafaci, Marco Marcato and Simone Ponzi are training under the watchful eyes of Paolo Bettini.
"We have organised meetings with the federation’s research centre and with the Italian Olympic Committee’s school of sport," Paolo stated.
He added, "Meetings on preparation, training and objectives, and there’ll even be an educational game in English, ‘English for London’, with the Olympics in mind".
UCI Road World Championships are scheduled from September 15th to 23, 2012, and only time will tell if the Italian cyclists can challenge the reigning world champion Mark Cavendish in the 2012 version of the event.
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