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Diego Ulissi to defend Coppi e Bartali title

By Cycling News

published 27 March 2014

Rafael Valls back after broken collarbone in January

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Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) wins the GP Camaiore(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Rafael Valls (Lampre-Merida)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Luca Wackermann and Mattia Cattaneo (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) distanced everyone in the sprint to the finish(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Diego Ulissi is set for his return to Coppi e Bartali with Lampre-Merida as the defending champion of the Italian stage race.

Ulissi was forced to quit Milan-San Remo due to the adverse weather condition and is prepared to add to his two wins of 2014.

Joining Ulissi will be Rafael Valls who broke his collarbone when racing with Ulissi in Australia on Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under in January. The WorldTour race was Valls' first for the team having moved across from the now defunct Vacansoleil - DCM team at which he spent two years.

Making their seasonal debuts for Lampre-Merida will be the 20-year-old neo-pro Valerio Conti, who has been plagued by a knee injury so far this year while Xu Gang, who joined Lampre from the Champion System Pro Cycling Team, is ready to race again.

Also in the team for the UCI 2.1 event are Matteo Bono, Valerio Conti, Luca Dodi, Manuele Mori and Luca Wackermann. Bono, Mori and Wackermann were all in the team selected for Milan-San Remo and hope to show their from from La Classicissima while Dodi has been handed the duty of representing the team in the breakaways.

Lampre-Merida for Coppi e Bartali: Deigo Ulissi, Rafael Valls, Matteo Bono, Valerio Conti, Luca Dodi, Xu Gang, Manuele Mori and Luca Wackermann.