Test team takes seventh place with Mercato, Oss proves worthiness for Worlds team
Paolo Bettini is better prepared to coach team Italy at the World Championships in Geelong, Australia, October 3. Yesterday, he guided a test team at the Giro del Veneto to seventh place with Marco Mercato.
"All I asked of the boys was to work together, talk and keep organised. And that is what they did," said Bettini.
"All of the riders handled themselves well. In particular, the riders talked amongst themselves as the race unravelled. In the pre-race meeting I did not bother with assigning specific roles, I wanted only that the team conduct themselves as a team, and it was a success."
Bettini had received permission from organiser of the Giro del Veneto to practice his new role as national coach. Various teams lent him their riders to construct the test team: Alberto Ongarato and Marco Marcato (from team Vacansoleil), Mauro Santambrogio and Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing), Riccardo Chiarini (De Rosa), Diego Ulissi (Lampre), Alan Marangoni (Colnago), Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas), Andrea Tonti (CarmioOro), Oscar Gatto (ISD).
He needed the practice since he only took over the role as coach two months ago, June 23. The role vacant after former head coach, Franco Ballerini died from injuries suffered in a rally car crash February 7 in Larciano, Italy.
Bettini's Italian test team failed to win the Giro del Veneto as Ballerini had at World Championships four times (twice with Bettini as a rider). Yesterday, a crash compromised the final of the race and Italy's work for Marco Mercato. Instead, 23-year-old Daniel Oss of team Liquigas, an Italian, rode clear for the win.
"I am happy with the debut. It's a good test ahead of the Worlds. Thanks to the riders' teams and the organiser for this chance, the only one to represent the national team prior to the Worlds," said Bettini.
"I did not start with a victory of my own, but Oss won. He's won of the likely national riders. He's a good young rider and improving."
Oss' debut win gives him a chance to form part of Bettini's true national team, the Squadra Azzurra, for the World Championships. His post and those of the other eight riders will be confirmed by Bettini by mid-September.
Luca Paolini, Giovanni Visconti and Filippo Pozzato are almost certain to have a spot on the team. The other candidates are Oss, Marcato, Tonti, Santambrogio, Ballan, Chiarini, Agnoli, Ulissi, Marco Pinotti, Matteo Tosatto, Vincenzo Nibali, Francesco Gavazzi, Manuel Belletti, Francesco Ginanni and Rinaldo Nocentini.