Cimetta di Codogne, 10th October – Hotel Calinferno in the beautiful region of Veneto hosted the Team BAHRAIN MERIDA from 8th to 10th of October. Athletes and members of staff gathered there to evaluate the first season and to plan for the next one, for which the expectations are even higher.
The first speaker on the press conference was the host and owner of the hotel, Jessika Mariotto. She said that Hotel Calinferno in Cimetta di Codogne (TV) has a long tradition of hospitality and catering but above all a warm passion for cycling. The hotel is famous in the world of pro cycling for hosting many teams during Giro d’Italia. “We’re very proud to host the first training camp of the season of the Team BAHRAIN MERIDA. To be selected by one of the most famous teams worldwide is something special for us and confirms the high value of our hospitality. Moreover, we’re cycling lovers, so a double pleasure,” concluded Jessika Mariotto.
The press conference was attended by the Team General Manager Brent Copeland, the Business and Marketing Manager Alex Carera, Head of Performance Paolo Slongo, and three athletes: Franco Pellizotti, who lives in this area and is well known cyclist in Italy, Sonny Colbrelli, who will finish his season in China next week and Ion Izagirre, whose recovery is going well after his crash on Tour de France.
Management and riders expressed their gratitude to the rest of the team and their satisfaction with the first season, which is a special challenge for every newly founded team by itself. The team achieved 11 wins, 16 times 2nd place and 26 times 3rd place, which is in total 53 podiums. Brent Copeland added to this achievements that the expectations were a little higher only for the Classics and Tour de France, where the team had misfortune with accidents, and emphasised: “We had a successful 2017 not only thanks to our riders but to all the staff who made it possible with their dedication and great job. Now we are here to organise 2018 season, we had meetings with medical staff, with sports directors and trainers to plan the calendar for the next season. Although the season is not finished yet, we are already prepared for our next challenges. This training camp is also a chance to present new riders.” He believes that in the next year the team will move another step forward and concluded that not only results are important but also the image of the whole team and what was achieved in this first year.
Alex Carera, Business and Marketing Manager, added: “We took this training camp as an opportunity for our sponsors to get to know the new riders for 2018 season. We took the equipment measurements from the cyclists and showed them the products. The training camp was attended by representatives of Sportful, SIDI, Rudy Project and MERIDA.”
Also Paolo Slongo confirmed the satisfaction with the first season and added that he was thinking about the next season already when driving home from Vuelta.
As we heard today, the athletes and staff are already intensely preparing for the next season, leaving no time for rest. And they started in the right place! The host concluded the conference with a special thanks to hotel Calinferno, that has been connected to the world of cycling throughout its existence, for their great hospitality and kindness. With the support of all the fans and sponsors, the Team is confident that they will achieve fantastic results in the season ahead.
