World champion Giorgia Bronzini is to return to the Diadora-Pasta Zara team in 2012, the team where her career began, and where she has spent most of her racing years. The 28-year-old from Piacenza first joined the team in 2004, which was then called Safi-Pasta Zara, before departing for Chirio-Forno d’Asolo and team FRW, and returned in 2007. After winning the first of her road World titles in 2010 she returned to the Forno d’Asolo team, which had merged with US team Colavita, but, having taken her second rainbow jersey, she is returning to her original team.
"It was not easy to decide,” said Bronzini. “I chose the Maurizio Fabretto’s team for several reasons: I believe in him and in his project; Pasta Zara has a president who has always believed in pink cycling and has demonstrated it this year with the presence of this brand to our Giro Donne; Diadora is a leading international brand in the sports world, and not just in cycling.
“I think it's a perfect mix to try to revive pink cycling, which is finally growing and gaining momentum.”
As well as the team’s organisation, Bronzini’s familiarity with much of its personnel has been a big factor in her decision to return.
“I know Diana Ziliute very well; my next sporting director,” she explained. “In 2009 we were teammates, and now she’s the leader of the team. She has a lot of experience, has won a lot of races. She’s a stubborn and serious woman, so I think I made the best choice.”
Like most of the women’s peloton, Bronzini’s season will be centred firmly around the Olympic road race at London 2012, where the expected sprint finish offers a chance to add a gold medal to her rainbow jersey.
“I do not deny that my next season will be oriented towards the London Olympics,” she confirmed. “The race for the five rings is my one true goal. In London I will try to get to my top condition, to be able to compete with the best.
The Olympic course seems perfectly designed for my own features,” she added. “It's a golden opportunity."
Team president Fabretto is certainly pleased to have the World champion back in the fold.
“Giorgia is back home,” he said.
“Giorgia knows, having raced with us before, that she will find a team where professionalism, skill, and hunger for victories are characteristics that we have in our DNA.”
Bronzini’s first race of 2012 will be on the track, in Melbourne in early April, where she will hope to take back the points race title that she won in Pruszków, Poland in 2009. Sadly, this will mean that the World champion will miss the first rounds of the World Cup: the Ronde van Drenthe, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.