CN's notes cull from La Gazzetta a check-in with Damiano Cunego, slated to resume his rivalry with Gibo Simoni for whatever place on the Giro d'Italia Podium Ivan Basso doesn't win. Like Carlos Sastre, Cunego was a semi-successful protagonist at two grand tours last year, but saw a couple major time trial flops keep him from greater heights. So, predictably, like Sastre the offseason coverage has looked into his efforts to get better.
Well, Cunego has traveled the globe in search of his time trial mojo, with a well-publicized stopover in a Houston wind tunnel (there's a smog joke in here someplace). But in Cunego's mind, it's all about the wattage:
La Gazzetta says he's up 10% to 400 watts (my sprinting wattage) on long rides these days. But as I've said before, the press doesn't write stories in January and February about guys whose training is lagging. Anyway, Cunego's season will be:
- Ruta del Sol, February 18 - 22
- Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia, March 7 - 11
- Critérium International, March 31 - April 1
- Pais Vasco, April 9 - 14
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège, April 29
- Tour de Romandie, May 1 - 6
- Giro d'Italia, May 12-??