Lampre gears up for 'cross and end of road season

It will be an important weekend for Enrico Franzoi (Lampre-Fondital), who won last Saturday's Kleicross Lebbeke in Belgium. He'll be busy racing at both the World Cup in Tabor in the Czech Republic and the Mogliano Veneto cyclo-cross, a national-level event in Italy.

Meanwhile, his team-mates will be wrapping up the road season at the Japan Cup and the Firenze-Pistoia. Francesco Gavazzi, Maurizio Girardini, Paolo Fornaciari, Marco Marzano and Massimiliano Mori, along with sport director Fabrizio Bontempi, Team President Emanuele Galbusera and mechanic Enrico Pengo landed in Japan on Thursday, and hopes were high.

"In Japan out team always obtained good results," Bontempi said "It's not simple to race at the end of the season, but our athletes have good enthusiasm because they like the Japanese fans."

Two of Lampre-Fondital's racers, Alessandro Ballan and Daniele Righi, will also take part in Firenze-Pistoia, a time trial of 35.5 kilometres in Italy.