REVERBERI AND NEW SEASON: INTERVIEW WITH THE #GREENTEAM MANAGER
Six days and Bardiani-CSF will face its first race of the year, Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, followed seven days after by Dubai Tour. These two stages races will be “the springboard” for an “impressive and ambitious” 2017, as affirmed by #GreenTeam manager Roberto Reverberi.
“The main goal of a new season it’s always improving what you did the year before, but for us it’s better saying we want to confirm ourselves. 2016 has been a special year in #GreenTeam history, we did an important quality step, both in results both in performances. Repeating an exciting season would be a success for us and it doesn’t mean we settle for this – we aim to strengthen ourselves and preparing for a new growth during next future”.
How is the first impression with the team?
“Positive, and not just because I’m the manager. We had a very good training camp in Spain in December and January. I have the perception that it’s a very harmonious and ambitious group. New riders Wackermann, Albanese, Maronese and Pacinotti immediately integrated in the team. The oldest Pirazzi, Zardini, Boem and Barbin showed a great attitude, giving example to the youngest. Ruffoni, Simion, Andreetta, Tonelli and Sterbini are motivated to make a new quality step while in former neo-pros Ciccone, Rota, Maestri and Velasco there’s a great wish to confirm the good impressions of last year. Only racing we’ll see if these impressions will be confirmed, but we have what we need to make it real”.
What will be racing schedule of Bardiani-CSF in 2017?
“During next days we hope to define the majority of our calendar. We want to add the races suited to bring out the best skills of our riders. We’ll have less races in Belgium, compared to 2016 season, and we’ll add more stages race in summer. Key event will be Giro d’Italia, of course. We want to alternate World Tour races, where we’ll have the chance to measure ourselves with the bests, and quality races being among leading teams. Italian calendar will be our main focus, but we aim as well to stand out globally”.
Winning 2016 Italian Cup makes Bardiani-CSF the “first team in Italy”, all the more so as there won’t be Italian World Tour teams in 2017. Could this change the plans of the team?
“Being completely Italian, with two Italian title sponsors such as Bardiani Valves and CSF Inox Group, it’s something make us proud. During the delicate phase that Italian cycling is facing we feel the bearer of an important tradition. From our side, we’ll try to honor in the best way the badge we have on the jersey. We know how hard will be the competition with top teams, how wide is the gap between World Tour and Professional category. But this doesn’t affect our approach. We’ll do our best every times and it will be amazing if one of our victories will be perceived as a success of Italian cycling”.