Considered as a highly versatile cyclist and capable time-trialist, Adriano Malori has some great expectations regarding his first season at Team Movistar, after riding for four consecutive years in the Lampre-Merida questionably stylish outfit.
The 25-year old Italian, is already having some significant achievements in his palmares, highlighted by an overall win in Bayern-Rundfahrt last edition with one stage victory taken in the process, as well as two other stages claimed at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in 2011 and 2013. He also had an honour of wearing la Maglia Rosa at the Italian Grand Tour 2012 edition, which he calls the greatest moment of his career as a professional cyclist to date, and proved to be an exceptional time trialist, being beaten only by the unstoppable Tony Martin on two occasions last season: at Tirreno-Adriatico and Tour de Romandie.
This year, young Movistar rider aims to retain the title as the Italian time trial national champion and to perform well at the Giro d’Italia.
“To bounce back with a win at the Italian Time Trial Championships and ride very well at the Giro,” Malori pointed out to his main objectives of the new season
With his well recognized strength and stamina, the young Italian rider is considered to serve as a strong reinforcement to the Spanish team on some flatter stages, where Movistar significantly lacked a powerhorse to keep the proceedings under control in the most recent past.
Malori confesses that he was contacted by the Movistar Team manager, Eusebio Unzue, very early last season and the Spaniard did not hide his interest in signing Lampre-Merida rider from the very beginning. Now, Malori undergoes some final preparations before his debut in the Movistar outfit at mountainous Tour de San Luis held in Argentina.
“I received a call from Eusebio [Unzue] few days after the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, when he encouraged me to do some talking. As it happened, we have met again May to do some further arrangements,” Malori talks about his move to Movistar
“For me, it is a great honor because it is the best team in the world, a squad with 35 years of history, and many champions have ridden in this outfit. All of this gives me an extra motivation to and faith in becoming the next name to be remembered in the future”.
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