Bardiani - CSF has started the work for the new season. The Italian team has finished a special year in which there were several problems but also satisfactions like the success of Nicola Boem in the Giro d’Italia. 2016 could be a key year for some of the key riders who are on the verge of getting a breakthrough and the team will change the schedule to make it happen.

During the first training camp in Fiuggi, manager Roberto Reverberi talked to Spaziociclismo, summed up the season and described the many challenges that will come in 2016.

“The feeling is always the same,” he said. “It seems like we are starting from scratch each year. We have four new guys and they always starts with the same enthusiasm. We are trying to do our best in order to bring these guys to bring success.”

Boem’s stage win in the Giro was the season highlight but apart from that the team failed to live up to its great 2014 season.

“I have told them not to think about how it went,” Reverberi said. “They are all at a starting point in their careers. They have the motivation to do well and give them the best conditions. Now it's up to them.”

Reverberi admits that the fabulous 2014 season has increased the pressure.

“Of course,” he replied. “In 2014 we won three stages in the Giro, we performed well at Sanremo and Amstel and everyone expected a lot, both the sponsors and the fans. We are not a WorldTour team from which you can expect a lot. We have been the youngest team in the world for 5 years, and that is good. In 2014 we created wonders, with a little bit of luck, but not all seasons are good. Earlier this year many had physical problems which didn’t get much attention and which can hamper the career of a rider. Unfortunately, many things happened that affected the overall performance of the team. 

“However in the end we still achieved results and we have won a stage in the Giro which was the icing on the cake. But the cake was not as good as in other years. Now we will start from scratch with the same enthusiasm, trying to push the guys to do their best, forgetting the past and looking forward.”

Bardiani will have a slightly different calendar in 2016.

“Last year we saw that riding in Dubai did not suit us even though it went well,” Reverberi said. “There we had to ride in the wind against riders that were prepared to go fast from the start. There was Etixx - QuickStep who made ​​the difference and our young people missed the experience to ride in those places and they also missed their best legs. We have preferred to make another choice and will start with races for sprinters and long distance riders which should bring results in the first half of the season. We will do the Vuelta a la Communidad Valenciana, where we can bring our climbers to make them ready for the pre-Giro  races and the Giro d’Italia for which we hope to get a wildcard again.”

In the past, Bardiani have done the Italian WorldTour races but otherwise they haven’t had many chances in the races on the finest calendar. Amstel Gold Race has been on their schedule for a couple of years and in 2016 they hope to do even more elite races.

“We have already received several invitations from major stage races, including the Tour de Pologne. We made ​​the request for the Flemish classics, including the Tour of Flanders, and await invitations. They are new experiences for our guys who have done races in Belgium, but not at that level.”

Bardiani have two very talented climbers, Manuel Bongiorno and Edoardo Zardini. However, their progress stalled in 2015 and both had a very disappointing year.

“Stage races make you mature,” Reverberi said when asked about his climbers. “In Italy there aren’t many of them. Next year all the one-day races in September have been merged into a busy calendar and this could be an advantage. We will also have the opportunity to do other stage races abroad, such as the Tour of Britain where Bongiorno and Zardini did well in 2014. They need to make the next step. This year did not go as we expected but they have the skills and will definitely do well.”

Another important change is the arrival of sports director Stefano Zanatta.
 

“We had a great time with Mirko Rossato,” Reverberi said. ”We worked together for five years and we have achieved many successes. He is a motivator and very capable. Stefano has experience from a WorldTour team, but not from the classic situation as he has always worked with young people early in their careers, like Sagan and Nibali, leading them what they are now. He has a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, as well as being a very humble and helpful person. We could not have found a better replacement.”

Bardiani is known as a development team for young riders. This year will be the second pro season for Alessandro Tonelli, Simone Andreeta, Luca Chirico, Paolo Simion and the Sterbini brother Luca and Simone.

“2015 was a year of learning,” Reverberi said. “We should not expect anything from the young riders in the first year. They had the opportunity to get a taste of the international stage with its great riders and now know what to expect. Last year represented a big step which they have now overcome. They are motivated and they know what they must do to carve out a space in the races.”