Seeing the Light: Cunego to Target Grand Tour Stage Wins, One Day Classics in 2010, Forego GC Ambitions

Damiano Cunego has finally seen the light. Citing "stress" as the determining factor for a change of approach in 2010, the punchy Italian climber has decided that trying for the GC at grand tours is too difficult. Instead, he'll focus on stage wins at the grand tours, and of course the usual one day classics in the spring and fall. A shrewd move, Cunego's new approach should see him have a windfall 2010, with both classics and grand tour podium appearances aplenty.

Cunego, as an impetuous neo-pro back in 2004, won the Giro d'Italia behind amazing climbing and serviceable time trialing. He beat his teammate and race favorite Gilberto Simoni, sowing the seeds of discontent between himself and his then Saeco teammate while simultaneously endearing himself to the rabid Italian "tifosi" as Italy's next big hope in stage racing. It was a label that would not last for long.

The years following his amazing Giro overall win though unfolded differently than the Italian and his fans would have hoped. Year in and year out Cunego targeted either the Giro or the Tour de France, and consistently came up short, usually losing big time in the high mountains. Cunego, for better or worse, was showing far more promise in one day classics than in grand tours. He was able to ride away from the top protagonists at classics like the Amstel Gold race, but when the Giro or Tour came along Cunego found himself dropped early and often, relegated to also-ran status in each grand tour he rode.

Cunego's critics and many in the media began asking him a few years back whether he would stop focusing on the grand tours overall battle, choosing rather to try to dominate the one day classics and take stage wins at the grand tours. Cunego, stubborn and proud, insisted that both could be accomplished. He insisted that he was built for grand tour wins and could also have ambitions in one day classics throughout the year, but the results didn't resolve the way the small Italian would have hoped.

And so now, in 2009, finally, Damiano Cunego seems ready to accept his fate as a one day specialist. Realizing perhaps that he isn't as young any more, Cunego seems to know that he can have a far bigger impact as a one day rider than as a grand tour GC contender. He'll have the chance to win all year round, and without having to prep specifically for the grand tour overall picture, Cunego will be able to try to win stages in all three grand tours each year, in addition to the monuments and other one day classics of cycling. 2010 should see big rewards for Cunego, and he'll have an outside chance at a 20 win season without the pressure of grand tour prep.

Although it took him longer than it should have, it is both a mature and sage decision by Damiano Cunego to become what he has always been destined to become: THE best one day rider in the world. Now that he is fully focused on a one day approach, he'll ascend toward the top of the world rankings, and begin to make his Italian countrymen forget about the last great one day rider for Italy, Paolo Bettini. As the wins pile up, so will Cunego's legacy, and once his career is over his reputation will be safe as one of Italy's best ever riders . . . regardless of his grand tour overall win tally.