With another stage win at the Giro d’Italia, Bardiani-CSF had a successful 2015 season. Team manager Roberto Reverberi is ready to build on the success in 2016 and has retained most of his 2015 roster and signed new promising talents.

 

“We deserve

I rate the season just ended?

"We deserve a 6,” he told Tuttobiciweb when asked about the season balance. “We won at the Giro d’Italia and some races from the mid-season but it makes no sense to deny it: we expected more. I missed something from the most important riders. Until the Corsa Rosa, Colbrelli was set back by physical problems and he only got back to his best in the end and others like Bongiorno and Zardini did not deliver what we expected. Luck did not help us either.Iit's been one of those years when everything goes a bit wrong.”

 

The highlight is obvious.

 

“It was the victory with Boem at the Giro,” he said. “Nicola made a big coup. Flat stages are unlikely to be won by breakaways but that day the break was underestimated and in the end found themselves with a favorable wind so that the peloton failed to catch them. Boem is a fighter who never gives up, and when he sees the finish line, he rarely makes any mistakes. He is intelligent and managed to get to the finish with merit.”

 

The team also had some success in the Coppa Italia where Colbrelli won the individual title and the team finished fourth.

 

"Sonny won after a thrilling head to head battle with Damiano Cunego but as a team - not having collected results especially at the beginning - we started with a disadvantage. We recovered in the end without closing the gap to the top. Too many times we lost valuable points that would have enabled us to finish at least second behind Southeast."

 

Reverberi is now focusing on 2016.

 

"We will see four excellent riders make their professional debut with us: Simone Velasco, Lorenzo Rota, Giulio Ciccone and Mirco Maestri whom we hope will confirm the good things they showed in the U23 ranks. Our policy is to grow young talent without having an excessive load of expectations as the first year at the pro level is challenging. If they just get time to mature, I want the more experienced guys to demonstrate their qualities.

 

"I have confirmed Simon Andreetta, Enrico Barbin, Nicola Boem, Manuel Bongiorno, Sonny Colbrelli, Luca Chirico, Stefano Pirazzi, Nicola Ruffoni, Paolo Simion, Luca Sterbini, Simone Sterbini, Alessandro Tonelli and Edoardo Zardini. In addition to the three named above, I want a demonstration from Ruffoni, who was able to beat sprinters like Cavendish and Kittel last year. I expect to see him riding strongly from the beginning of the year and him to prove that he is a sprinter of value that [Italian coach] Cassani has to consider for the Worlds.

 

Stefano Zanatta will join the team in a coaching capacity.

 

"We chose Stefano because he is an experienced Italian coach who knows how to direct a young team like ours,” Reverberi said. “He has many years of experience at high levels and launched riders like Sagan and Nibali. He has an important technical background and an organizational system that will make us better.”

 

"Next year we want more continuity. My guys would like more results from the beginning of the season and, if possible, a stage in the Giro in which a team like ours gives great visibility. In 2014 we were able to win three but it's never easy to win in a race with 22 teams and a very high level.”