Over the past 8 seasons the maglia verde jersey has become an eye catching symbol of the
professional peloton. The name Liquigas has become as prominent as the team
colours. 2012 however saw the curtains close
on a sponsorship deal that has supported many great riders and victories. The team became one of the most prominent of
the peloton, bred in one of cycling’s heartlands, Italy. With it developed a culture and strong
foundations for success, a prominence that is to continue for years to
come. Sensing the opportunity to put its
name further into the cycling spotlight, Cannondale upped its commitment to
form the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team.
This exciting new venture is sure to greatly enhance its research and
development capabilities. Sponsorship in
professional sport is never a lifetime guarantee. It’s a business, and cycling is not immune
from the challenges that team managers face on a day to day basis regarding the
continued funding and running of their teams.
This season sees the reins passed from the Liquigas Sport Mangement
group to the Brixia sport group. At the
helm remain Paolo Zani and Roberto Amadio who remain the backbones to ensure
the teams already solid foundation continues to grow into the powerhouse squadra is today.
The new team will inevitably bring some exciting changes in
the direction and focus of the team moving forward. The tried and trusted Italian traditions will
remain at the heart of the team, a more international focus will carry the team
forward. The first mission for Roberto
Amadio and the team of sports directors, headed by Stefano Zanatta, was to
bring a more international flavour to the rider roster. I am grateful this provided an opportunity
for me to return to the squad that I had so much enjoyed being part of in
2011. I am the first and only Australian
to ride for the team, and still have to pinch myself a little when I pull on
that famous bright green jersey. For the
first time a Japanese rider, Yuki Masuda, has joined the team, further
illustrating the push to globalise the team.
This season also sees riders from Austria, Germany, Canada and Denmark
joining the ranks. Add this to Poland, Slovakia, Cech Republic, Columbia,
America, Slovenia, and of course Italy, it is one of the most international
rosters in the world tour. The Staff
have remained very much the same, prominently Italian, however the past few
years has seen other nationalities trickle into the core group of workers who keep
the show on the road.
Every team in the professional peloton has its own unique
identity of how it runs and competes.
Teams all have one thing in common, a lead rider, the ‘go to guy’ when
it comes to getting results. The focus
for our team is both present and future oriented, fostering our existing
leaders and working on the development of the next crop of lead riders. Peter Sagan has been the spearhead of our
attack in recent years. At just 22 years
of age he will no doubt continue to play this role for the team for many years
to come. Alongside Peter stands Moreno
Moster, who had an impressive debut professional season and eagerly awaits more
success, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his famous Uncle, Francesco
Moser. Elia Viviani is the man the team
will look to in the sprints, and Damiano Caruso has been earmarked as a
possible Grand Tour Leader. Our squad
captain will again be Ivan Basso. Basso
will lead the team in Grand Tours, with the podium in any of the 3 events he
targets, well within his reach. As he is
entering the final years of his racing career, he will provide an invaluable
mentoring role to our younger riders and the continued development of the Cannondale
Pro Cycling Team. The remaining riders
form the ‘engine room’ to what the team hopes will bring many victories. Of course, there will always be things that
can go wrong, and it’s important to have others read there to take up the
slack. The diverse makeup of our team
means we are able to line up at just about any world event and hopefully put on
a good show. This is a great strength
for any team to possess. This season
will see Sagan focus on the Classics of the north before turning his attention
to retaining le Tour de France green jersey.
Moser will look to the Ardennes Classics to shine, before making his much
anticipated grand tour debut. Basso will
focus on taking out his third Giro d Italia, before focusing on another grand
tour podium. Viviani will be our man in
the sprints year round, whilst Caruso will be a solid General Classification
candidate in whichever races he is sent to.
It is evident that the Management team have built an exciting and
promising roster, Cannodale Pro Cycling team is certain to be both present and
prominent whenever it races.
With many years of racing under its belt the team has a
tried and trusted way of racing.
Throughout the Liquigas years a family type environment has been
established. This means you never feel
alone or isolated when riding in the maglia
verde. Cycling is a unique sport,
the entire team is required to put in a huge amount of effort to secure the
success of one rider who will then reap the benefit of worldwide media
attention, the opportunity to earn a good income, and often become a national
and international heroes. Although the
team captains have endless gratitude for the team mates who help secure the
win, you may think its normal for all riders to want a bigger piece of the pie
themselves. This is not the case within
the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team. The
family environment, established by Roberto Amadio and his team, has meant that
ever rider knows his role and is both happy and grateful to have the
opportunity to perform on an international stage in whatever position. There is never debate as to who should be the
focus for the day. The management
decision is always supported 100% by the riders. Regardless of the outcome, the team will
always be seen riding as one in the bunch, giving our leader the greatest
opportunity to succeed. Obviously when a
great result is achieved it is very satisfying for all. Speaking from a ‘work horse’s’ perspective, my most
gratifying moments have come from witnessing the success of my team mates,
particularly when I feel I have had a
real meaningful contribution to their victory. When the team objectives are not
met, while there may not be the excitement associated with a big victory, we
all share the disappointment as a team and move on and look forward to working
together the next time and chasing victory another day. This family mentality has allowed the team to
form its collaborative approach. It’s a
culture that has not developed overnight but one that is so ingrained in this
team that it will be with it forever.
I signed my first Liquigas Sport contract at our teams home,
our service course located in Sesto al Reghena, situated in north eastern
Italy, half way between Venice and Treviso.
The farm setting of the magazino
seemed as idyllic as the team itself. This
setting gave me the first true appreciation of the traditional and sound
footing with which the team has been built.
The old homestead has been converted into offices, a gym and
accommodation for staff and riders passing through. The farm sheds have all been immaculately
restored into workshops and storage rooms whilst maintaining their rustic and
traditional exteriors. The adjacent lush
green paddocks act as packing space for the team trucks, buses, cars and all the
other vehicles associated with a world tour cycling team. To top it all off the
man at the helm of the ship, Roberto Amadio, has his residence in an adjacent
farm house. In every sense Roberto lives and breathes the team and has created
a homelike environment for the team. Why is this important about the team? To
me it represents the start of it all, where all major decisions are made, where
the organisation is done, where everything departs from when we embark on a
racing schedule and finally where everything returns once the trips are said
and done. At races, both on and off the bike, we are like one big family. That all starts at Sesto al Reghena, the rock
of the Liquigas It’s been the rock of
the Liquigas team for many years and will surely give the Cannondale Pro
Cycling Team an exceptional launcing framework for the 2013 season and beyond.
The Cannondale Pro Cycling Team is far from the new kid on
the block, the name may be new but everything behind it is backed up by years
of tried and trusted routine. For me the
framework developed by Brixia Sport allows new major sponsors, like Cannondale,
to enter with piece of mind surrounding their investment. In investing terms, to me, it’s not a
speculative stock but more a blue chip stock. As a result it means that the wheel does need
to be reinvented but simply tweaked a little to keep the new project rolling. Cannondale have made it known that they want
to take a collaborative approach to research and development. This is surely to
bring some exciting new developments in Cannondale cycling equipment. As a major manufacturer, Cannondale have the
opportunity to refine their products in the best test laboratories available,
the world tour peloton. This has great scope
in a team like Cannondale due to the diversity of our riders, who excel in
varying types of terrain. Be it Sagan
testing the Synappse on the cobbles of Flanders, or Moser pushing the evo the
limit in the harsh terrain of the Ardennes. Basso needs comfort and reliability from his
evo and slice rs if he is going to challenge for a grand tour podium and
Viviani will put enough watts through his bottom bracket to power a jumbo jet! Critical feedback can be obtained, in turn
giving Cannondale the opportunity to pass the knowledge and extensive research
to customers through a range of bikes. For
riders it’s a golden opportunity to work with the supportive team at Cannondale
as we strive to obtain every edge on the road. The Cannondale staff work to the
slogan “crazy passionate performance”.
This illustrates their dedication to developing the best bicycles
through continued research and innovation. Through feedback and discussion with some of
the finest engineers, we as riders are able to help them deliver the best
possible equipment to take into battle. In this day and age the equipment in
the professional peloton is becoming more scientific whereby any small gain can
be the difference between winning and losing. Research and development is set to play a
major role for the team.
While a new name and
title sponsor will always bring changes, thanks to the leadership of Roberto Amadio
it has been a very smooth transition for the team. The first training camp
which took place in Tuscany in December 2012 was the first time the team had
congregated to get a feel for any changes to the traditional set up. Along with the Italian setting, many parts of
the camp followed the tried and trusted routines that have carried the team
into successful season after successful season. One major change was the time spent educating
riders and staff on the functionality of the equipment. Also interesting was the use of English
during these workshops. English is
certainly the prominent language in the peloton, whilst our team predominantly
speaks Italian. It is fantastic to see
all riders and staff working hard to enhance their English skills. This
has helped new arrivals induction into the family happen far more rapidly. Whilst the adjustment for the team could have
been a difficult one, the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team has embraced it. It seems to have added to the culture, enhancing
the international flavour. As a relative
new comer to the team it has increased the sense of responsibility to be a part
of Cannondale and Brixia Sport’s desire to further develop this international
cycling team. The name may have changed
but the heart and soul well and truly remains. The foundations are already in
place and with the assistance of the “Crazy Passionate Performance” people at
Cannondale it is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for The Cannondale
Pro Cycling Team.
