Gasparotto makes tricolore debut

Enrico Gasparotto will make his debut in the Italian tricolore tomorrow, enjoying his first race as champion of Italy. He recently spent nearly three weeks of training at altitude in Livigno, and hopes that this will help produce some strong form in the weeks ahead.

Gasparotto says that the Italian champion's jersey will give him additional motivation, but also greater responsibility. He's like to ride strongly in the Brixia Tour but is not sure how his form will be. "I have just come back from a period of training at high altitude, working at temperatures quite a bit lower than those I will experience in the next few days" he said. "My rivals have done many races recently, while I have dedicated myself to a intense period of training. This should pay off for me in the future, but might leave me feeling a bit blocked in the short-term."

Despite that, Gasparotto will grab any chances which may come his way. Looking past the next few days, he says that he wants to ride well in support of team leader Danilo Di Luca in the Hamburg Cyclassics, then aim for the Benelux Tour.