Team Lampre-ISD back on track at the Giro d’ Italia 2012
Team Lampre-ISD had a disappointing start to its Giro d’ Italia 2012 campaign but the team seemed to have found the right rhythm for the race.
Michele Scarponi is leading the team at the first Grand Tour of season and the team was hopeful that the defending champion will help the team at the Italian event.
The Italian team only secured two victories in the current season including two stages at the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali and one at the Giro del Trentino 2012.
Scarponi also had a tough time with his struggling form in the first half of the season.
His only two commendable performances include the seventh place finish at the Tirreno-Adriatico and the 8th overall spot at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Michele finished second overall during the Giro d’ Italia 2011 but was awarded with the first overall position after Alberto Contador’s disqualification.
The 32-year-old finished at the 135th position during the opening stage of the Giro with a total deficit of 1 minute and 6 seconds on Taylor Phinney.
Damiano Cunego is the second leader chosen by Team Management and he finished at the 124th spot after the first stage.
While commenting on the team’s current Giro performance, Team Sports Director Roberto Damiano noted that he is disappointed by the team’s start at the Giro.
He also explained that his side has divided the three-week race into three parts and the Team’s Time Trial stage 4 is the end of the first part.
However, the team came up with a much better performance during the 32.2 kilometre stage 4 of the race.
Damiano told Cyclingnews, “Our [stage 4] performance was very good, If only we had ridden twelve seconds faster, we’d have made the top 3”.
“In the first part of the course, we’ve asked Petropolli, Bono, Spezialetti and Righi to give everything they had. On the hill, Scarponi set the pace”.
“Then [Italian time trial champion Adriano] Malori brought the team at a very high speed towards the finish. We can now eye at the second part of our Giro”.
The team is now looking ahead at the coming stages of the race and Roberto is hopeful towards the reigning Champion Michele Scarponi to repeat his previous performance at the current edition of the Giro.
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