THE VF GROUP BARDIANI-CSF FAIZANÈ IS ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED AS THE BEST ITALIAN TEAM IN THE WORLD RANKING.
A season marked by 9 victories, 34 podium finishes, and 106 top 10 placements, all the numbers and key figures of the season.
The VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè once again confirms itself as the best team in Italy, amassing 3,164 UCI points. Over 199 race days, the team secured 9 victories, 34 podiums, and an impressive 106 top 10 finishes. The season started with a bang in Spain, at the Volta Valenciana, where Alessandro Tonelli won the opening stage and finished the race in fourth place overall. The highlight of the year was the Giro d’Italia, with the explosive talent Giulio Pellizzari coming close to a stage win. Filippo Fiorelli also stood out in the Giro, wearing the cyclamen jersey for two days and winning the Intergiro prize.
Roberto Reverberi, team manager, states: “It has been an excellent season. For us, it’s essential to be the reference point in Italy for young talent. Some of our guys stood out this year, but we are convinced that even more will emerge in the future. The entire team has worked impeccably, from the athletes to the trainers, from the sports directors to the staff. We are very satisfied with what we’ve achieved, and during the winter, we will further intensify our efforts with training camps and focused preparation. The work done this year has paid off.”
Giulio Pellizzari, a young promise of Italian cycling, has stood out as a consistent protagonist in the most important races of the season. In the sixteenth stage of the Giro d’Italia, he finished second behind Pogačar and won the prestigious Cima Coppi in the seventeenth stage. Additionally, he finished second in the climbing classification and sixth in the penultimate stage after crossing Monte Grappa first. He placed eighth in the general classification at the Tour of the Alps, third at the Giro di Slovenia, where he won the young rider classification, second at the Giro del Friuli, and sixth at the Veneto Classic.
It was also an important year, the last as a pro, for 42-year-old Domenico Pozzovivo, who put all his twenty years of experience at the service of the team since March. Pozzovivo immediately proved to be competitive at the Giro dell’Abruzzo and also at the Giro of Slovenia, where he secured a spot just off the podium in the general classification.
2024 seems to be a turning point for Manuele Tarozzi. After an excellent start to the season, with a second place at the Volta Valenciana behind Tonelli, he achieved two more victories: one in a stage at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, where he reached the podium in the final classification, and another in the sixth stage of the Tour de Langkawi. Additionally, Tarozzi holds the world record for kilometers done in breakaways, with a remarkable 1962 km, surpassing Jonas Abrahamsen and Dries De Bondt.
Notable results also for Mattia Pinazzi, the newly professional cyclist from Parma, born in 2001, who achieved his first victory among professionals in the first stage of the Istrian Spring Trophy, finishing ahead of his teammate Lorenzo Conforti. In addition, Pinazzi secured 2 podiums and 12 top 10 finishes. It’s a season that holds great promise for the future.
Also an excellent year for Enrico Zanoncello, who won the first stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo and achieved several placements, totaling 6 podiums and 10 top 10 finishes in what has been a positive season for the rider from Verona.
Indeed, it has been a memorable year for Alessandro Pinarello, who has shown constant growth as part of the youth project. He secured second place in the overall standings of the Tour of Antalya and won the prestigious Palio del Recioto. Additionally, he finished seventh at the Coppa Bernocchi after a long escape of 160 km.
It was also a debut season among the professionals for Federico Biagini, a 2003-born rider from Reggio Emilia, who won the first stage of the Giro della Valle D’Aosta. Next year, he will complete his final season with the Under 23 group. Not to be overlooked is Davide Gabburo from Verona, who made a decisive move in the fourth rainy stage of the Tour of Istanbul, crossing the finish line first to secure his second victory as a pro. Samuele Zoccarato also stood out, winning his second Gravel national title in Golferenzo.