Cyclingpost.com - Interview: 2004 Giro winner Damiano Cunego

Interview: 2004 Giro winner Damiano Cunego

By Mario Casaldi
Thu, 3 Mar 2005 21:35:00

TERRACINA, Mar 3 (CP) - The winner of the Giro d'Italia in 2004, Lampre-Caffita's Damiano Cunego, recently spoke to Cyclingpost.com's Italian reporter Mario Casaldi, at the team presentation in Italy. The young, successful rider spoke about his plans for the current season, and more. How did your life change, having climbed from the 227th position of the UCI Ranking in 2003, to the first in 2004? It’s all different, but I love it. I get more pressure, but this is part of my job. However, I keep on training hard: this is possible only if you can maintain a particular lifestyle. Since I was a child, my parents taught me to live a simple life. There are also my friends, of course, but going to bed early and working hard are the main things you have to do if you want to reach the top of a sport like this. Did you train to be better at the Individual Time Trial? I’m just working on it. We’re studying the bike for the time trial, trying to improve the position to use on it. The previous position wasn’t working well, it was very bad. I brought the bike home, in Verona, to use it during my training. You will ride the Vuelta a Murcia. Will you try to win at the Collado de Bermejo to dedicate that victory to 'Il Pirata', Marco Pantani? Note: the Collado de Bermejo is the finish of the fourth stage. I find my better shape in April, as usual. I can’t promise anything similar, but of course, if I win over there I will be very happy: but I think that there will be some riders with a better condition than me. Did you decide what race you will ride before the Giro d’Italia? Will it be the Amstel Gold Race or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Fleche Wallone? I’d like to ride Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege: these are the races I prefer. Amstel Gold Race is a nice race, as you know, but the Belgian races are the ones I'd like to race, and win. The last stage of the 2005 Giro d’Italia will start in Albese con Cassano, the place of birth of Fabio Casartelli, the Italian Olympic Champion in Barcelona, 1992, who died during the 1995 Tour de France. Do you remember anything about him? When Fabio died I was very young. I heard about his death in 1995, when it happened, and the riders that knew him spoke of a very nice guy and a great rider. I rode the race in his memory last June: I was very pleased to compete in such deep event. With the ProTour, the 2005 Giro d’Italia will have more riders who want to compete for the “Maglia Rosa”. Are you afraid of someone in particular? Of course Basso, Garzelli, Savoldelli and Cioni will be the most important contenders for the overall classification. But the foreign riders, like Vinokourov, Beloki and the others that will be at the start in Reggio Calabria, will affect the race as well. I think that winning the Giro will be more difficult, but also more satisfying. What do you think about Bertagnolli, Scarponi, Caucchioli, all these riders who go to foreign teams in order to compete to win the Giro? I know these riders, and they are all good, of course. But the main competition will come from the riders I mentioned before. It will be nice to see how these cyclists will do without helping a leader in their teams. Is the feeling good with the new riders on the team? The training camp was very good. We have a good atmosphere, we had good weather for our work, a good relationship with the old Lampre riders and with the neopro's as well. How do you feel? Very good, thanks. I know that this year will be the most difficult year of my career. Are you happy that I didn’t mention Simoni in this interview, yet? There is a question about him? No, no. You’re safe. Ok, but it doesn’t matter. Simoni and I could work together well, and the other riders and teams will see that this would be real trouble for them.