Daniele Bennati frustrated at Worlds exclusion
Italian rider Daniele Bennati has expressed his disappointment at being excluded from the World Championships in Australia by Italian coach Paolo Bettini.
Speaking after his victory in the Giro della Toscana on Sunday, a race that finished in his hometown Arrezzo, the Liquigas-Doimo rider could not hide his regret at missing out on the trip down under.
“I really wanted to win, I wanted to make my fans happy and I wanted to show that it was an injustice to leave me at home," he told
Gazzetta dello Sport. “I’m very disappointed not to be in Australia.”
Bettini opted not to pick Bennati for the Italian team because he believed the route chosen in Geelong would not favor sprinters.
But Bennati, who won the Giro della Toscana amid tough competition from teams Vacansoleil, Garmin-Transitions and Lampre-Farnese Vini, insisted that his all-round riding was good enough to be included at the Worlds.
“I’d also say that the route of the Giro della Toscana had a lot in common with the Worlds course: I would have been able to make a contribution. My victory shows that I’m not a pure sprinter, but a fast rouleur and that I’ve come back from the Vuelta in
great form."
Strong Vuelta performance
Fellow Liquigas rider Vincenzo Nibali won the Vuelta's general classification, while Bennati failed to win a stage in the final Grand Tour of the season. But the Italian finished 85th overall after showing clear signs on improving throughout the race.
“The only person who didn’t see that I was flying at the Vuelta was Bettini,” said the Italian, who won the race's points classification in 2007 and 2008.
The 30-year-old will feature in this year's Paris–Tours and in the Giro del Piemonte. He will then complete his move to Kim Andersen's new Luxembourgian team, where he will be joined by Andy and Frank Schleck.
Tags: