Visconti for Worlds and Vuelta

Giovanni Visconti's first Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia, proved its benefits by allowing the 24 year-old to take the Maglia Tricolore of Italian Champion Sunday. The rider from Monreale, Sicily, has announced that now he will aim for a good ride at the Vuelta a España and a sport on the national team for the World Championships.

"I would like very much to wear the maglia azzurra at the Worlds in Stuttgart," Visconti of team Quickstep stated to AGR. "To do this I need to have a good August and Vuelta, then, obviously, it will be the decision of Franco Ballerini."

The first ever rider ever from Sicily to wear the national champion's jersey received many congratulations for his victory. "They arrived from everyone. One from my friend-rival Vincenzo Nibali and one from my captain Paolo Bettini." Visconti has been roommates on the road with Bettini since the start of the season.

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Visconti road as an amateur for the Tuscan team of Luca Scinto (professional from 1994 to 2002) and Angelo Citracca before turning professional in 2005. "It was Citracca who first offered me a spot as a Directeur Sportif, and then he talked to me about Visconti," recalled Scinto to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Scinto is from Livorno and Visconti makes his home same Tuscan region, in Pistoia. "I remember one time I met him [Visconti] when I was still racing and he seemed to be tired. 'Today, six hours of training,' he said. 'Too much,' I responded. 'Three and a half, if you do it well, is enough.' We then went and did Montecatini Alto all out. I was not able to take him off of my wheel.

"He is serious, nice and sensible," continued Scinto. "He just bought 95 square metres of land on San Baronto and he was ready to go and live there and furnish it. I raised my voice, 'Now you have to think of racing and if you want we can talk of it [the home] after [the Giro di] Lombardia.' He did it. He still rents with his mom, who prepares the food for the boys on our team, and his sister, who is a lawyer. One step at a time; in life and in cycling."