Cunego wins the Due Giorni Marchigiana
August 10, 2004, Courtesy Saeco.
Cunego started winning this season way back in April this year when he won he first stage of the Giro del Trentino 2004 on the 20th of April. Once he had the taste for winning it seemed that nothing could stop him. He won the second stage of that race the next day and the overall by the 23rd, also sharing the podium that day, in third spot was Gilberto Simoni. History would repeat itself  with more dramatic results as the season continued.

Meantime, Cunego kept winning. Two 1.2 races - the Giro dell'Appennino and GP Industria & Artigianato/ Larciano 2004 were added to his palmares in swift succession. As the excellent Fabio noted at the time: Who can stop Damiano Cunego? Simply nobody. For the moment at least. Three days after his overall win (that came after he scored two stage victories too) at Giro del Trentino, the 22-year-old Saecoman from Verona added another triumph to his tally by capturing the 65th edition of the Giro dell'Appennino …(to read full race report click here).

He then tackled the Giro and amazed the world with his victory. And then proceeded to win the GP Fred Mengoni and won again today. But can Cunego keep winning and make a challenge for the Vuelta Espana?

The official Saeco report is “there is no better way to approach the Vuelta (which starts in Leon September 4th) for Damiano Cunego. In his last test before the race in Spain, the Giro d’Italia winner has won the sprint in Arona (near Varese) at the GP Nobili Rubinetterie. Scoring his 12th win in this extraordinary season, this represents for him another confirmation of his talent. With a strong condition, Damiano has confirmed the form shown during the summertime."

May 10th, 2004 - Pontremoli: Damiano Cunego first on the finish line
Courtesy Saeco.

But make no mistake, the man who keeps winning has one goal left this season, the next World Championship in Verona, the most important target in the end of the season for the young champion. The Vuelta draws closer, and can the "man who can’t stop winning" join Eddy Merckx (1973) and Giovanni Battaglin (1981) in the exclusive Giro/Vuelta club of winners in the same year? To read our recent Vuelta Race Notes, click here.

GP Nobili Rubinetterie Results

1. Damiano Cunego (ITA, Team Saeco) 184 km in 51'23
2. Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS, Domina Vacanze) m.t
3. Paolo Valoti (ITA, Domina Vacanze) m.t
4. Andrea Masciarelli (ITA, Vini Caldirola-Nobili) m.t
5. Ruggero Borghi (ITA, De Nardi) m.t
6. Scott Davis (AUS, Ceramiche Panaria-Margres) m.t
7. Paul Crake (AUS, Corratec Austria Arbo) m.t
8. Tomislav Danculovic (CRO, Perutnina) m.t
9. Emanuele Sella (ITA, Ceramiche Panaria-Margres) m.t
10. Gianluca Tonetti (ITA, De Nardi) m.t