Split into two groups depending on their first season goals, the riders of Liquigas-Cannondale have begin an eleven-day stay at a training camp at the Geo Village in Olbia, Sardinia.
The Italian team will remain there until December 22nd, giving just enough time for its overseas riders to return home for Christmas.
The first of those groups features riders such as 2010 Vuelta a España winner Vincenzo Nibali and strong sprinter Elia Viviani, as well as the Americans Timmy Duggan and Ted King. It comprises riders who will begin their 2012 season in January, and who need to reach shape a little sooner.
The second, which is aiming to reach solid form by the time they start racing several weeks later, includes 2010 Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso, Tour of Poland victor Peter Sagan, Daniel Oss and others.
Team coach Paolo Slongo explained the thinking behind splitting the groups. “Riders due to start racing in January need to a higher level of conditioning so they can race competitively without suffering too much,” he explained. “These guys will go on longer rides to work on their aerobic training and this will be interspersed with anaerobic work.
“The second group comprises the riders set to start racing in February. Their programme is more about basic training with shorter sessions combined with aerobic training.”
The practice of splitting teams into two or more groups is a common one, with Classic specialists starting earlier and working harder during the winter in order to be in shape for their most important events. In the case of the Liquigas Cannondale team, those in the first group must be ready for races such as the Santos Tour Down Under and the Tour de San Luis in Argentina.
Both sets of riders will do gym work to build core strength, flexibility and general conditioning, putting practices in place which the team will hope they will maintain during the season. The psychological aspect is also being worked on, with the team’s mental trainer Marino Rosti hosting relaxation stretches each day.
Details of the specific groups are as follows:
First (racing in January): Vincenzo Nibali, Elia Viviani, Stefano Agostini, Federico Canuti, Mauro Da Dalto, Tiziano Dall’Antonia, Timmy Duggan, Ted King, Kristijan Koren, Alan Marangoni, Moreno Moser, Daniele Ratto, Fabio Sabatini and Josè Sarmiento.
Second (racing in February): Ivan Basso, Peter Sagan, Daniel Oss, Eros Capecchi, Valerio Agnoli, Maciej Bodnar, Damiano Caruso, Paolo Longo Borghini, Dominik Nerz, Maciej Paterski, Juraj Sagan, Cristiano Salerno, Sylwester Szmyd and Alessandro Vanotti.