Kristijan Durasek (Lampre) in the break(Image credit: Susanne Goetze)
Lampre-Merida have announced its Critérium du Dauphiné team with Filippo Pozzato as it leader for the WorldTour event. Having recently raced the Tour of Japan, the 32-year-old returns to Europe looking for his first win of 2014.
Damiano Cunego and Winner Anacona also line up for Lampre a week after they both finished the Giro d'Italia. Cunego will look to improve upon his 21st overall placing of last year and claim a maiden win on French soil.
The first stage of the Tour de France warm-up race is a 10km time trial around Lyon which Pozzato is targeting. The second stage, a summit finish on Col de Béal, will be the first test for the overall contenders and climbers with Anacona and Cunego looking to be protagonists.
The duo will also have the opportunity to test their legs on the seventh and eighth stages which will decide the overall classification of the race.
In order to secure his place on the Tour de France team, Kristijan Durasek is looking to impress throughout the eight stages.
The team also enters the race with three young riders — the youngest participant in the 2014 edition of the race at 21-years-old, Valerio Conti, 22-year-old Luca Wackermann and 25-year-old Elia Favilli. It will be a debut Dauphiné for Conti and Wackermann while Favilli rode the race last year.
Lampre-Merida for Critérium du Dauphiné: Filippo Pozzato, Damiano Cunego, Winner Anacona, Davide Cimolai, Valerio Conti, Kristijan Durasek, Elia Favilli and Luca Wackermann.
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