Gallery: Cunego, Pozzato and Petacchi headline Lampre-Merida camp

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Alessandro Petacchi needs all the help he can get this year (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Damiano Cunego (Lampre - Merida) tests his climbing legs (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi needs a new front wheel (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Mallorca provides the perfect mix of climbs and flat roads (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Matteo Bono (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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The team coast through a sleepy Mallorcan village (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Merida provide the bikes and are the secondary sponsor of the team (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Damiano Cunego (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Mattia Cattaneo and Luca Wackermann (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Przemyslaw Niemiec leads the Lampre Merida team on the climb (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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uca Wackermann and Mattia Cattaneo (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Luca Wackermann and Mattia Cattaneo (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) picks up his lunch from the team car (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Luca Wackermann (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) enjoys a quick snack (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Davide Vigano (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Lampre Merida will be looking to perform in the grand tours and Classics this year (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato, Diego Ulissi and Damiano Cunego (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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The Lampre team pre-photoshoot (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Can Damiano Cunego (Lampre - Merida) find the form that saw him compete in the Classics and grand tours? (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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MTB rider Jose' Antronio Hernida and Filippo Pozzato enjoying each others company (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato (Lampre - Merida) will take aim at the Classics once again (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato, Alessandro Petacchi and Damiano Cuengo (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Former Italian time trial champion Adriano Malori (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato (Lampre - Merida) in his new team colours for 2013 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) needs some help waking up (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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The Lampre Merida photoshoot begins (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Adriano Malori (Lampre - Merida) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Filippo Pozzato (Lampre - Merida) is back after his ban (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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of his life (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) might not be as fast as he used to be but he's still one of the team's best riders (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida) wraps up in the wintery conditions (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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The Lampre Merida double paceline take on the roads in Mallorca (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Maurizio Piovani and Filippo Pozzato discuss training (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Merida supply the team with bikes for 2013 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - Merida) has some treatment on the Lampre Merida team bus (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The European season might be well underway but that hasn't stopped the Lampre Merida team from holding a February training camp in Mallorca, Spain. The Italian team, lead by Damiano Cunego, Filippo Pozzato, Alessandro Petacchi and Michele Scarponi this year, will be looking to perform on a number of fronts.

Report Card: Lampre-ISD

Gallery: Lampre-Merida showcase riders and equipment

Both Pozzato and Scarponi are returning from suspensions relating to their working relationships with Michele Ferrari. They hope to help the team forget a poor 2012 season which held just 7 victories.

Pressure will be on Cunego and Pozzato to rediscover their individual classics form, while Petacchi will be looking to prove to everyone that he's not passed his sell-by date. As for Scarponi, the 2011 Giro winner will go head-to-head with Vincenzo Nibali and Bradley Wiggins in this year's race.

New signings not only include Pozzato, with Roberto Ferrari and Jose Serpa both joining the team. The team headed to Mallorca this week for some extra training and their team presentation, before the real season objectives begin.

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