Liquigas Pro Cycling Team -   Founded in 2005

Liquigas will kick off it's 2007 Giro d'Italia campaign with Ardennes Classics master Danilo Di Luca at the helm as captain. Riders on the squad enlisted to aid Di Luca in his GC aspirations include the following: all-rounder and GC Co-Captain Franco Pellizotti, sprinter, former Italian Road Racing Champion, Enrico Gasparotto, Croatian Vladimir Miholjevic, Andrea Noe, Alessandro Spezialetti, Alesandro Vanotti, Vincenzo Nibali, and Charles Wegelius.

Photo © Corvos Images

Danilo Di Luca began his professional career in 1998 with the Riso Scotti team. That same year, Di Luca would win the overall general classification in the Baby Giro and the bronze medal in the U23 World Road Racing Championship. In 1999, Di Luca would participate in his first Giro d'Italia in which he placed 2nd on Stage 5. At the age of 25, Di Luca would Captain the Cantina Tollo - Acqua e Sapone Giro d'Italia squad where he would win Stage 4 and finish 24th in the overall general classification. Fom 2002 to 2004, Di Luca rode for the Saeco squad, and during those years his Grand Tour participation was limited to the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, so his fullest potential in the Giro was not realized until after signing with Liquigas in 2005. 2005 would be dubbed the breakout year for the Liquigas team with 8 vicrtories from Di Luca alone, which included 2 stages in the Giro and a 4th place in the overall general classification.

Photo © Corvos Images

Franco Pellizotti will Co-Captain and provide support to Di Luca in the mountains during the 2007 Giro d'Italia. Pellizotti began his professional career in 2001, and in 2002 he would finish 16th in the overall general classification at the Giro. His best finish at the Giro to date was in 2006 placing 8th in the overall.

The two youngest members of the Liquigas Giro d'Italia squad are Enrico Gasparotto and Vincenzo Nibali. Gasparotto, professional since 2005, and his most notable victory was the Italian Road Racing Championship that same year. Since 2005, Gasparotto has added several top 5 finishes to his palmares, with the most recent being 3rd in Stage 2 at the Tour de Romandie. Vincenzo Nibali also began his professional career in 2005, and that year he would finish 4th overall in the Italian Time Trial Championship. In 2006, Nibali won the GP Ouest France-Plouay and stage 2 at Coppi-Bartali. Alessandro Vanotti is another young rider for the Liquigas team who became a professional in 2004, and that year, he was 5th overall in the intergiro competition and 44th overall in the general classification. This season, Vanotti has added two stage victories in Settimana Ciclista Lombarda to his palmares.

Liquigas rounds out it's Giro d'Italia squad with veterans and faithful lieutenants Andrea Noe, Alessandro Spezialetti, Charly Wegelius, and Vladimir Miholjevic.

Team Website

Rider Websites:

Danilo Di Luca

Enrico Gasparotto