DAMIANO CUNEGO

HE WAS BORN IN OUR HOMETOWN Damiano was born in Verona on the 19 september He grew up in Cerro Veronese where he still lives with his family He took on cicling quite late, in 1997, in the second year of juniores category But two years later he won the World Championship for this category. Before cicling he was a runner and had taken part in few cross-country races.

HIGHS AND LOWS In 2002 he joined the Saeco team and entrered the professional category In 2004 won the italian tour with four first places. This was his greatest victory In the following years he collected other minor victories and took part every year to the Vuelta de Espana. He says that he has learned that people rise on the highest position just as quickly as they fall down..."when I was younger I used to get angry about critics and judgements...but now I've learned that with time, people understand and they respect and appreciate what you do as best as you can....

THE LITTLE PRINCE His fans and friends call him "the LITTLE Prince" due to his blond air, blue eyes AND to his kindness.... When he was a child his schoolmates kept addressing him with this name...and when he bacame famous his nickname was known by everybody...

A "CLIMBER" NEEDS HIGH SLOPES...his greatest skills come out when he faces difficult slopes...his favorite technique consists in attacking his adversaries while climbing hills or drop offs in order to gain a good advantage...

Today he lives in a big house in Cerro Veronese with his doughter Ludovica (10 years old), his son Christian (4 years old) and his wife Margherita who hates sports and says that they just complete eachother...they live next to his parents and his younger brother Donato...

CARS AND MUSIC Besides his first and foremost love, bicicle, Damiano also enjoyes rally racing, a passion that he inherited by his father Enzo...for this reason he took a degree as a mechanic and in his free time he joins the many races that take place all around his hometown Verona.... MUSIC is also a life companion supporting him through all his challanges....his favorite singer is Jim Morrison... He is a very devoted Catholic with a deep faith..."I committed everything I've ever won to God and I feel really thankfull for everything I got"...

When he is asked Damiano says that he feels more like a warrior Than like a champion...he says that his motto is " DO WHAT I HAVE TO, AS BEST AS I CAN...I can't overtake my limits but as long as i do my best I feel Clear conscience"...