|
|
STAGE 15: TEAM OF THE DAY: LIQUIGAS
June 25, 2008
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Liquigas
Registered Nation: Italy
Bicycles: Cannondale
Components: Campagnolo
Key Riders: Roman Kreuziger, Daniele Bennati, Filippo Pozzato
Title Sponsors: Liquigas is a bottled liqued propane gas distributor
The Liguigas-Pata team first appeared in 1999 as a second division team and moved up to Division One with the addition of Davide Rebellin and several other strong Italian riders in 2000, but the original team disbanded at the end of the 2002 season. The current team structure is rooted in the Alessio team, and the Coast / Bianchi team that was built around Jan Ullrich in 2003. When Ullrich returned to the T-Mobile at the end of the 2003 season, Bianchi became co-sponsor of the Alessio team and was re-named Alessio-Bianchi. The teams biggest win came with Magnus Backstedt's win at the 2004 Paris-Roubaix. In 2005 Liguigas took over as title sponsor and the team's name was again changed to Liguigas-Bianchi. 2005 saw Danilo Di Luca dominate the early season, winning Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne, and the Italian went on to win a Giro d'Italia stage and the overall Protour title.
For 2007 Cannondale replaced Bianchi as the bicycle sponsor of Liguigas, marking Cannondale's return to the ProTour after ending sponsorship of the Lampre-Caffita team at the end of the 2005 season. 2007 saw Di Luca win the Giro d'Italia with dominating rides in the mountains, but despite his win in the Giro d'Italia, Di Luca's contract with Liguigas was not renewed. In 2007, Liguigas brought Filippo Pozzato on board and the 2006 Milano-Sanremo champion was hired to gas up the team's classics squad. For 2008 Liguigas hired Daniele Bennati as the teams top sprinter. After two stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and the overall points title Bennati is a strong candidate for stage wins and the Maillot Vert at the Tour, while Pozzato will be looking
for more stage wins and recent Tour de Suisse winner Roman Kreuziger could be a dark horse candidate for
Best Young Rider at the 2008 Tour De France.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|