Damiano Cunego, in his 11th participation will lead Nippo-Vini Fantini in the Giro d'Italia. Grega Bole will share the leadership Giacomo Berlato will be ready to attack. Ther will be debutfor the young Japanese rider Genki Yamamoto and the Italian talent Iuri Filosi.

Sports Director Stefano Giuliani has been talking for a long time with the staff and with Japanese Team Manager Hiroshi Daimon with the goal to honor the most important race of the season, the Giro d’Italia:

“We want to be competitive in the Giro d’Italia and we had been considering also the Tour of Japan line-up for the end of May, the most important moment of our racing calendar. Our team has leaders and young talents, and in both line-ups we will have expert leaders and young talents that can surprise and get great results.”

The Giro d’Italia will welcome these 9 Nippo-Vini Fantini riders:

Damiano Cunego as the general classification leader: Talent, determination, desire to win and great experience. At his 11th participation to he isready to guide his team-mates in the pink race.

“I’m ready and strongly determined, I feel very well and I have studiedall the stages of this Giro that is designed perfectly for my goal: to be ready to look for single stage victories. I want to come back to win and I want to do it by giving all what I have in some very important actions. As it is in my style I will be giving all the best, and I’m sure to obtain great results.”

The winner of the first race of the year, Grega Bole will return to the Italian roads:

“The crash at Amstel Gold Race was a bad accident on my road to the Giro, I was feeling very good and my preparation was perfect. But I fully recovered from the accident and I’ve been training very hard to be ready for the most important race of the season, the Giro d’Italia. Damiano and I complement each other, with different features. We can attack in different stages, have fun and give the team great satisfactions if we are well supported by the team.”

4 times in an escape in 2015, in the right escape at the Amstel Gold Race, Italian talent Giacomo Berlato, in his second participation, wants a pink podium:

“I’m really happy to be part of the Giro roster for the second year, I’m conscious that at my age is not easy to be there for the second time. My work will be at full disposal of the team, but I will have an opportunity of a great escape. I want to battle for the podium and maybe a victory.”

The Japanese escape artist Genki Yamamoto, well known from the Tour de San Luis where he was caught in the last 100 metres, is a complete rider at disposal of the team.

“I’m really happy and motivated, to race in Europe as it helps me a lot to grow, but now to be at  theGiro d’Italia it is another great opportunity to grow more. I will be at full disposal of the team and to represent with honor Japan and all Japanese supporters at the Giro d’Italia.”

The young bet of the Nippo-Vini Fantini team Iuri Filosi is ready to shine in his debut. From the mountains of Trentino, the good climber hasalready been selectedby Cassani for raceswith the Italian team. In the current season, he was 5th position at Volta Limburg Classic and in the escape at Giro of Trentino.

“I can’t wait to start this amazing experience of the first Giro and I’m strongly determined to do good things. I’m looking to stages of the second and third week,” he said.

One of the most able climbers of the team, a good support for the captain, but also ready to surprise in the third week of the Giro is Gianfranco Zilioli. 4th in the 2015 Italian Championships. He is at his second participation but the first with the Nippo Vini Fantini jersey.

“I crashed in Appennino, stopping a good growth because of a broken shoulder, but the Giro is a long race and my stages will come in the second and third week. I’m fully recovered and I will be ready in the third week of the Giro. The first week we will be doing lots of km and I will grow while riding to be useful for team strategies and Damiano Cunego in the second part of the Giro. I love to attack, and when I will have the chance to do it, I will be there.”

Alessandro Bisolti, the last man for Damiano Cunego already in 2015, is a climber from Trentino and has lots of experience. He will be an important man at full disposal of the sports directors in the second and third week.

“I will face this Giro d’Italia with determination & humility. To participate in the pink ride is always an incredible emotion, we will honor it with the full team with all our determination. I’m ready to be part of some long actions in the hardest stages of this Giro, where I can show my best capability.”

The fastest rider of the roster of this Giro will be Eduard Grosu, able to be there also in hard stages and when the weather goes bad, as he showed in Giro del Piemonte where he was 4th, and in the 13th stage of the 2015 Giro d’Italia where he finished in 5th place. The young Rumenian talent, in his second Giro d’Italia, is looking for the podium:

“I want to thank the Sports Directors for the trust and for the call, I want to re-pay them by catching at least a podium in a sprint and being part of some important actions.”

Riccardo Stacchiotti started with a domestique role when he won stages and the general ranking of the Tour de Hokkaido in 2015. He is ready to continue his growth with a great Giro d’Italia:

“In this year and an half in the Professional category I have growna lot. The experience of the 2015 Giro d’Italia helps me to improve as a man and as a rider, taking myself to the victory in Japan at the end of the season. I come to the Giro d’Italia to help the team, but if I will have a chance to make an action I will be ready.”

Giuliani explained why riders like Daniele Colli were missing.

“In the team we have leaders and young talents and have been divided to honor in the best way possible the Giro d’Italia, but also the great Asian race that we will have in the end of May, the Tour of Japan. We have a double soul, Italian & Japanese, and we want to honor in the best way possible both races. In both rosters we have great leaders and winning riders. We want to take results in Europe and in Asia, I’m sure that with these two line-ups we will make great things.”