Bianchi just sent over this image of the race-spec 2011 Oltre that their Androni Giocattoli UCI pro team will be maneuvering through some smaller tours this spring in hopes of making the Giro d’Italia start line later this year.
We snapped some photos of the rest of thier 2011 highlights at Interbike, but thelarge Bianchi bird icon on the downtube of this one is, IMO, comes across far more striking here than of the photos we caught on the show floor. Official PR about the team and bike after the break…
PRESS RELEASE: 2011 road racing season is just around the corner and Bianchi is ready to start a new challenge in the peloton alongside with the Androni Giocattoli team.
Androni’s riders will officially use for the first time their special Bianchi Oltre at the up-coming Tour de San Luis in Argentina, from January 17 to 23. Following the team’s training camp held in Italy early in December, the Argentinian stage-race will be the official debut for the Oltre high-end model. The feedback from the riders is already very good as they all confirmed that the frame is particularly rigid and easy to ride. They also were impressed by the new aero shape design that makes the Oltre truly aggressive.
The Androni team, managed by Gianni Savio, placed 17th overall in the 2010 UCI World Ranking after taking rewarding results in the major competitions across all the Continents. The new squad is determined to continue the winning streak in 2011 and is expected to be in the action at the Giro d’Italia.
Bianchi believe experience comes from racing activity, which means the Tour de San Luis will be key to get the very first important feedback from the riders under demanding conditions and stress. In fact the Androni Giocattoli team will help Bianchi to develop and improve its products through close collaboration throughout the whole season.
The Androni team will line-up in Argentina Jose Serpa, Angel Vicioso, Giairo Ermeti, Roberto Ferrari, Luca Solari and Jackson Rodriguez, while a second group – including Italian climber Emanuele Sella, will contest the Tour de Langkawi (Malaysia) from January 23 to February 1. The European debut will be in Italy at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria (January 28-30) with Francesco Ginanni in the line-up.
