When the Tour of Qatar kicks off this weekend, Leopard Trek will debut in the Northern Hemisphere with a powerful team headlined by last year's Flanders/Roubaix double winner, Fabian Cancellara. Behind him will be a solid lineup and a few fastmen: namely Daniele Bennati.
The Italian sprinter has battled hard against injuries over the past few seasons. His 2010 campaign got off to a great start with stage wins at the Tour of Oman and Tirreno-Adriatico, followed by 5th at Milano-Sanremo. A muscle injury sustained at the Tour of Flanders saw his season take a distinct turn for the worse though. It wasn't until June that Bennati was able to return to some semblance of form. The final months of the season were good with a victory at the Giro di Toscana, a second and a third in stages of the Vuelta, and 6th at the Vattenfall Cyclassics.
Even with a solid finish to the season, Bennati's year was a far cry from his outstanding three year run between 2006 and 2008. It's the form of the not so distant past that Bennati is hoping to regain in 2011 with his new team, Leopard Trek. During those years, Bennati managed to take the scalps of many of the sport's best: Cavendish, Hushovd, Zabel, Boonen, and more.
"Until 2008, I was able to beat these riders regularly, but then I had problems with my achilles tendon, and that set me back for a long time, said the 30 year old to Luxembourg's Tageblatt.
With his season debut at the Tour of Qatar, Bennati is looking to get back to his winning ways as quickly as possible.
"My first goal is to be very fast on my bike and take a few wins…My goal is to get back to my old form as quickly as possible. I am convinced that I can achieve that goal."
A healthy, resurgent Bennati is a rider to be reckoned with. When the Tuscan sprinter was last at his best, Grand Tour victories came thick and fast. In 2007 and 2008, the rider who hails from Arezzo sprinted to four Vuelta stages, three Giro stages, and two stages of the Tour de France, not to mention the scores of other victories he managed during that time as well.
With Bennati seemingly on the path back to 100% fitness and health, the Italian admits that his chief goal is success in the race that all Italians dream of: Milano-Sanremo.
"The team is entirely behind me in my goal to be successful as quickly as possible. Naturally, I'll try to win Milano-Sanremo."
Bennati is quick to note that his love for the race isn't based solely on his nationality, but who he is as a rider.
"Even if I wasn't Italian, I would love the race simply because it fits my characteristics as a bike racer."
The cobbled classics will not be a part of Bennati's 2011, but the Grand Tours will once again be a major part of his season. It was previously reported that Bennati would race all three Grand Tours this year, but the rider who has raced professionally since 2001 dismisses the idea.
"The media jumbled up my words a little bit. To race three Grand Tours in a year is pretty much out of reach at a high level. The way it looks now, I will race the Giro and the Vuelta, but not the Tour de France."
Missing out on the Tour de France would seem to be a significant disappointment, but Bennati is frank when speaking about sitting out the Tour de France.
"It would be almost impossible for me to support my teammates well there. It is absolutely expected that the team will be one hundred percent behind Frank and Andy at the Tour de France."
When asked about his thoughts on the lack of Italian journalists at the Leopard Trek training camp in Mallorca, Bennati points out that it makes sense considering who the team's stars are and his lack of results over the last few years. He hopes to change that soon though.
"That's normal, because I haven't been able to race much over the last two years and all eyes are on Fabian Cancellara and both of the Schlecks. Once I'm able to win again, the Italian press will pay more attention to me again."
Bennati will certainly be a rider to watch next week in Qatar. Perhaps he can be the rider to take Leopard Trek's first ever victory.