Gallery: Cannondale Factory Racing kicks off team camp

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For the first time in the four-year history of the Cannondale Factory Racing squad, all of the team's athletes have come together in an official team training camp. A mix of cross country, endurance and OverMountain riders convened in Finale Ligure, Italy, for a few days of riding and meeting the media.

The images below capture the events of the evening just before the official team presentation. Following a few days of training and photoshooting, riders were introduced to the media on Tuesday night.

The Cannondale Factory Racing team includes World Cup cross country racers such as Marco Fontana, Manuel Fumic, Martin Gujan and Jeremiah Bishop and American junior cross country racers Keegan Swenson and Taylor Smith. Endurance pros Tinker Juarez and Alex Grant are also in attendance. In 2012, the team will also provide support for US Olympic Long team member Krista Park.

Jerome Clementz, Mark Weir, Ben Cruz and Aaron Chase are on hand representing Cannondale's OverMountain team.

The site of the gathering, Finale Ligure, is west of Genoa and is home to the 24 hours of Finale Ligure mountain bike race, an enduro race and a new for 2012 Alta Via mountain bike stage race.