Lampre-Fondital riders to meet in December

By Gregor Brown

Lampre-Fondital will come together for the first time this December in preparations for the upcoming 2007 season. The Italian squad will hold its first meeting, December 4 - 7, near Brescia at Boario Terme.

"The first meeting will be an opportunity to carry out the riders' medical checks, to try new technical material and to define the 2007 competitive program," explained team manager Giuseppe Saronni. "Naturally this will be a time to get to know the new team members and understand the spirit of the squad."

The team will once again aim for the Giro d'Italia with Damiano Cunego, while using the strength of Daniele Bennati and Alessandro Ballan in the sprints and classics. Cunego, winner of the 2004 Giro, had an inspiring 2006 season that included fourth in the Giro and overall winner of the best young rider at the Tour de France. Benna will once again aim for the Milano-Sanremo, before shifting his objectives to the northern classics, like the Tour de Flanders. Ballan will be a valuable ally due to his strength, which brought him third in the 2006 Paris-Roubaix.