Filippo Pozzato and Oscar Gatto chasing summer success after an unlucky spring campaign
With its biggest race of the year, the Giro d’Italia, out of the way, the Farnese Vini-Selle Italia team heads to the Österreich-Rundfahrt and the Tour of Qinghai Lake with the aim of building towards the end of the season. Although the team is one of the biggest in the second division Professional Continental level, and took two stages and the mountains jersey in the Giro, it will not be riding the Tour de France as the organiser - understandably - favours local teams.
After strong, but ultimately unsuccessful spring campaigns, Filippo Pozzato and Oscar Gatto will both be travelling to Austria in search of stage victories; while sprinter Andrea Guardini - who took his first ever victory in the Giro last month - will be leading the team to China in search of further glory.
“We are going with a view to working towards the summer, looking more towards stages than the overall classification” explained directeur sportif Serge Parsani, who will be leading the Österreich-Rundfahrt team. “Filippo Pozzato is improving, and Oscar Gatto returns to racing to look ahead to the autumn races, where he hopes to have more luck than he did at the start of the season, although he was excellent in the north.”
While Gatto will doubtless be focussing on the end of the season, Pozzato might find himself looking over his shoulder a little as he awaits a possible judgement from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) after his alleged admission that he has worked with notorious banned doctor Michele Ferrari. The Austrian race will begin on Sunday, July 1st, with a 153km stage that starts and finishes in the city of Innsbruck, finishing in the capital Vienna on the following Sunday July 8th.
“Flash” Guardini meanwhile will be hunting his eighth victory of the year so far at Qinghai Lake, in China. The 23-year-old has enjoyed considerable success already in his season so far, with his six stage haul at March’s Tour of Langkawi elevating him to the most successful stage winner in the history of the Malaysian stage race. The Chinese race will begin on Friday, June 29th, and finish on Thursday, July 12th.
“We are going there to ride well and to have fun,” explained directeur sportif Stefano Giuliani. “We hope that results will be our reward for this philosophy.”
Farnese Vini-Selle Italia team for the Österreich-Rundfahrt
Rafael Andriato, Thomas Bertolini, Diego Caccia, Pierpaolo De Negri, Oscar Gatto, Kevin Hulsmans and Filippo Pozzato.
Farnese Vini-Selle Italia team for the Tour of Qinghai Lake
Luca Ascani, Alfredo Balloni, Cristian Benenati, Roberto De Patre, Leonardo Giordani and Andrea Guardini