Hondo returns to ProTour with Lampre

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Danilo Hondo has confirmed that he will move to Lampre for the 2010 season and will work in cooperation with fellow sprinter Alessandro Petacchi as both make their return to the ProTour. The German rode in 2009 for the Czech Professional Continental team PSK Whirlpool-Author.

The 35-year-old told Cyclingnews that he will work to set-up sprints with fellow Lampre-newcomer Petacchi, but will also have his own chances. “Naturally the idea to build up a strong train for the sprint finishes together with Petacchi,” he said.

“I want to help Petacchi and the team to many successes, but the team has also clearly agreed to my own ambitions,” he continued. “It will be important to remain flexible and to find the optimum use of all our abilities.”

He has his eye not only on sprints, but also on “Classics like Milano-Sanremo; Belgium's Three Days of De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem, and Flanders; also Hamburg [Vattenfall Cyclassics] and Paris-Tours are major goals.”

Hondo rode for Team Telekom/T-Mobile from 1999 to 2003, before joining Gerolsteiner in 2004. In the spring of 2005 he tested positive for Carphedon, and was subsequently suspended until April 2007. Since then he has ridden for Team Lamonta, Tinkoff Credit Systems, Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni and PSK. He is also active in six-day races.

He was German national road champion in 2002, and has eight Friedensfahrt stages to his credit, as well as two Giro d'Italia stage wins in 2001. Hondo had three victories this season, including the 263 kilometre Prague-Karlsbad-Prague race

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