Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mt Hood Classic Photo ©: Swift |
Tales from the Peloton
Fassa Bortolo '03: Top Italian Team Waits For Bartoli Return
Tim Maloney / European Editor
 |
As the Saturday morning roads around Treviso, Italy filled with cyclists and the snowcapped Prealpi Trevigiani peaks glistened in the winter sunshine, Italy's number one pro cycling team, Fassa Bortolo, presented their 2003 team to media, sponsors and friends. Ranked as number two in the 2002 UCI standings, the squad had 39 wins last season, including two World Cup victories by Michele Bartoli. However, there was a pall on the proceedings Saturday, as Fassa Bortolo rider Denis Zanette was mourned by the participants. The week prior, the likeable 32 year old Zanette died of a sudden heart attack after a dental visit.
After a moment of silence, Paolo Fassa, the owner of the Italian building products company, opened up by remembered Zanette. "We have an empty place: we miss Denis, as a person and as an athlete. A real professional, a competitor, Always ready to go in a break. He was a good man and close to his family." Fassa went on to strongly criticize members of the media who insinuated that Zanette died of other than natural causes.
With speaker and noted Italian TV presenter Fabrizio Frizzi, and RAI-TV's popular color man Davide Cassani MC'ing, indefatigable Giancarlo Ferretti presented his 24 man squad, but with team leader Bartoli calling from home near Pisa as he recovers from surgery from a broken hip in a crash two weeks ago. Bartoli was in good sprits on his mobile, as he told Frizzi that he was "getting better; there's still some pain but I'm going to the doctor next week to follow-up." Still, Bartoli expected to be off his bike for perhaps a month and explained to Cassani that now his dream this season is to do well in the World Road Championship.
 |
2002 Vuelta d'Espana winner Aitor Gonzalez was also present in Treviso, and the classy ex-Kelme man was sitting next to Feretti in the first row. "It wouldn't be right if (Gonzalez) was presented with the team with this matter still open", said Ferretti. For his part, the talented Vuelta winner told Cyclingnews that "I want to ride for Fassa Bortolo…I hope this matter is settled soon…it is hard to train with all this uncertainty." A decision from the UCI is expected soon on where Gonzalez will go in 2003, but until then, the simpatico Spaniard stage racer is sidelined.
Feretti, nicknamed "Ferron" for his will of iron, felt that "2002 was a good season, but we had gap in our results at mid-season due to crashes and disqualifications." Ferretti said that the "Giro d'Italia will be the primary goal for this 2003 season, with classics wins and a good performances in the Tour De France and Vuelta as well." Ferretti made a lot of changes for 2003 in the Fassa Bortolo roster, with 10 new riders coming on board.
For his stage race leaders, Feretti focused on 26 year old soon to be papa, Ivan Basso, 10th in last years Tour De France and prodigal returnee Dario Frigo, who was bounced in '99 from Fassa Bortolo after the Giro "blitz" drug raid. Frigo's main objective 2003 will be the Giro d'Italia, while Basso will prepare for the Ardennes classics and Tour De France. Supporting them will be Fassa Bortolo newcomers Marzio Breseghin from Banesto, Dario Cioni from Mapei, Gonzalez's Kelme teammate Juan de los Angeles and stalwarts from Fassa's deep bench, with powerhouse riders like Roberto Petito, Nicola Loda and Matteo Tosatto.
 |
Sprinter Alessandro Petacchi won 12 races for Fassa Bortolo last season, but the speedster from La Spezia is looking to bring his game up a notch. Piloting the lanky Tuscan to the finishline will be Guido Trenti, fresh from Cipo's Acqua e Sapone train. Muscular neo-pro sprinter and 2002 U/23 World Champ Cecco Chicchi will have his first experiences in the cash ranks and could add some sprint wins this season. With Bartoli likely out of action for the Spring Classics, this may finally give "carta bianca" to the powerful Russian single-day specialist Sergei Ivanov to go for his coveted Tour of Flanders win.
Youth is also well served at Fassa Bortolo for 2003, as Ferretti has snapped up two of Mapei's best young rising talents; Swiss TT specialist Fabian Cancellara and Pippo Pozzatto. Both Kim Kirchen and Tadej Valjavec will be looking to make their mark in smaller stage races, while likeable Swiss climber Sven Montgomery will look to make a major comeback after his "black season" last year.
If anything, Ferron runs a tight ship at Fassa Bortolo, so there are few material changes for 2003. The Treviso squad will again ride their hometown Pinarello, road iron this season, but with a new color scheme and a switch to Campagnolo components, FB's team bikes will look different from last years models. Mavic wheels, Selle Italia, Look pedals and Deda tubing and Dedaelementi bars and stem round out the Pinarello bike package. Plus, Fassa Bortolo clothing sponsor, Colorado based Pearl Izumi, has re-designed Fassa Bortolo team wear for 2003.
With Zanette's sudden passing, classics team leader Bartoli's broken pelvis that will keep the "Warrior" out of action until until March and the uncertainty swirling around the Aitor Gonzalez matter, perhaps Fassa Bortolo has not started the season on the best possible footing, but Ferron's winning determination and a lot of two-wheeled talent should undoubtedly keep them as a top level for the 2003 season.
Photos
Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti
- Giancarlo Feretti presents the team
- The new team jersey by Pearl Izumi
- The new Pinarello team bikes
- Ivan Basso riding his bike on the stage
- Cool! I get to hold the bike
- Frigo gets his chance to ride on stage
- Frigo has a few words
- The entire team pose for photographs
- Ivan Basso poses for more photographs
- Dario Frigo holds back a smile
- Fabrizio Frizzi tries to hide his tie
- Gonzalez and Ferretti; all dressed up and somewhere to go
- Paolo Fassa and Mr Bigolin from Selle Italia
