Last season the Lampre-Fondital team could not live up to the big expectations. What followed was a very pale season. The fact that Danielle Bennati won the teams most ProTour races, inspite of his injuries, says it all.


Figueras coud not come back on the highest level and so did Marzano. Vila started well in Paris-Nice but did not draw attention in the rest of the season. The same goes for Valjavec.
Cunego played along, did get the white jersey in the Tour de France thanks to a solid closing time trial, but didn’t get the same results as in 2004 when he became a superstar in Italy.


High-flyers were Ballan and Napolitano. Ballan started with a jump on the Poggio in March and ended with a nice performance in the Worldchampionship in October.
It is a pity for the rider from Castelfranco Veneto that Tom Boonen is a rider way better then him on the cobblestones. However, Ballan should be able to catch a big fish in the coming years, maybe already this year.


Napolitano was a good stand-in for Danielle Bennati. While not yet a true winner, the 25-year-old sprinter is drawing nearer to the top. Together with Corioni, who is used more as a lead-out for Bennati, he is the leading man for Lampre in the sprints. Corioni will also try to play a role in the classics. Newcomer Francesco Gavazzi is a similar rider like Corioni. Gavazzi rushed his ways through the youth ranks and got a contract this winter at Lampre. Castañeda, another newcomer, was allready employed last august. With Baldato, Massimiliano Mori and Bossoni, Lampre aquired some more good riders for the classics. The tainted Caruso left Manolo Saiz and signed for Lampre.


The 27 year old Carrara left Lampre and moved to Unibet. Commesso, Marzoli en Petrov went to the Pro Continental team of Oleg Tinkoff. Mauro Santambrogio left for Tenax.
Ballan, Bennati, Napolitano and Cunego are manager Saronni’s absolute certainties in the team. Vila hopes to have a good spring campaign. Colleague-climber Caruso is looking for rehabilation and has promising potential.


Lampre has 25 riders in total and can consider itself no more than average as a team. It’s a real pity that the merger between Saeco and Lampre did not create a team with a higher ProTour-ranking in the last two years.


New:
Fabio Baldato, Paolo Bossoni (Tenax), Massimiliano Mori (Naurino Sapore di Mare ), Giampaolo Caruso (Liberty Seguros), Francesco Gavazzi (neo).


Left:
Matteo Carrara (Unibet), Salvatore Commesso, Ruggero Marzoli. Evgueni Petrov (Tinkoff),
Mauro Santambrogio (Tenax)