Het Nieuwsblad beginning for team of Nicole Cooke, Rochelle Gilmore and Fabiana Luperini
The new Faren-Honda Team is finalising its preparations for the new season, and has released the design of its new jersey for the first time. While the riders have been scattered throughout the world – with Nicole Cooke, Miffy Galloway and Rochelle Gilmore racing in Australia, Jennifer Hohl, Elena Utrobina and Yulia Blindyuk training in Cyprus, and the rest spread around the different parts of Italy – they have all been following the programmes set to them by the team’s management.
The only rider to have turned a wheel in anger in the northern hemisphere so far is Maria Giulia Confalonieri, who was part of the Italian national team in the Tour of Qatar; the 18-year-old first-year-pro finished comfortably in the peloton in all three stages.
"We are well advanced and this bodes well for the season, which we will get under way with the Het Volk [Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – ed] in Belgium,” said the team’s directeur sportif Fortunato Lacquaniti. “If you see a good day in the morning, we can say that we are on the right track. The group was serene and there is a sense of tranquillity between the athletes, which these days is not a trivial matter.
“We are working towards a great season which of course is consistent with the technical level of our team,” he continued. “Choosing the best races in the international calendar as targets, with the World Cup, the Giro d’Italia and the London Olympics.
“Then,” he concluded, “we are fortunate to have so many enthusiastic sponsors and so close to the team."
The team’s new strip is a mixture of orange, white and grey, reflecting the corporate colours of principle sponsor Faren Chemicals, and is made by Italian clothing manufacturer Pissei. With so many stars in the team – particularly one Italian living legend – it was apparently an easy decision for the company to support the team.
“The presence of Fabiana Luperini and of other champions was one of the reasons that prompted Pissei to engage in construction of all the equipment as well as to partner with this World class team,” said Sandro Pisaneschi. “Another strong point of our collaboration, which we now considered very interesting, is that we are committed to always keep up with the times, and with the new trends, through an artisan production process, targeted at the women’s sector.”