The Lampre-Farnese Vini team will, just as at the Giro d’Italia, be led by Damiano Cunego, looking for a high finish in the overall classification, and sprinter Alessandro Petacchi. The Blue-fuscia team is giving five of its riders a Tour de France debut.
Cunego will once again be hoping to recapture his Grand Tour contending form that saw him take victory in the 2004 Giro d’Italia. The 29-year-old from Verona had a solid, if unspectacular, Ardennes classics campaign, followed by a somewhat disappointing 11th at the Giro d’Italia; the highlight of his national tour being second place behind World champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) on the epic stage to Montalcino.
Should he find himself out of the reckoning after the first half of the race, Cunego will likely go on the hunt for wins in some of the hillier stages.
Petacchi has four stages of the Tour to his name, but these were all won in and incredible 2003, when he also won six stages of the Giro d’Italia and five at the Vuelta a España. 36-year-old Ale-Jet’s afterburners are still operational though as he has won a 5th GP Costa Etrusca, two stages of Tirreno-Adriatico and one stage of the Tour de Suisse this season; although his Suisse victory was mostly due to that fact that he managed to avoid the massive crash that has put paid to the Tours of Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Heinrich Haussler (Cervélo TeatTeam).
If Cunego falters in his overall ambitions, Simon Spilak will likely step up to the plate. The 24-year-old Slovenian won the Tour de Romandie in May, taking a stage on the way, and will be relishing the chance to step up. The team’s other Slovenian Grega Bole might find himself challenging Petacchi to the number 1 sprinter spot, having won the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné.
Danilo Hondo returns to the Tour after many years in the wilderness following his 2005 suspension; he may also challenge Petacchi but can usually be seen in the Italian’s service as lead out man. Adriano Malori is given a Tour start in his first full professional season, he won bronze in the Italian Time Trial Championships at the weekend and so will be looking to impress against the watch.
Lampre-Farnese Vini team for the Tour de France
Grega Bole, Damiano Cunego, Mauro Da Dalto, Francesco Gavazzi, Danilo Hondo, Mirco Lorenzetto, Adriano Malori, Alessandro Petacchi and Simon Spilak
Director sportifs
Maurizio Piovani and Valerio Tebaldi