"Winning the second stage was the icing on the cake, which I did thanks to the incredible work of my teammates," said Viviani, who will now head to London for the next round of the Track Cycling World Cup before returning to the road in March at Paris-Nice."These two dates are very important for my season. I want to return to London for the Olympic Games in July, and in France I want to improve my performance in World Tour racing."

Team Liquigas-Cannondale's Elia Viviani took his second victory of this short 2012 racing season by successfully defending last year's win in the GP Costa deli Etruschi. After putting the likes of Tom Boonen and JJ Haedo behind him in the scorching heat of Argentina last week, Viviani sprinted his SuperSix Evo to the win in the frigid temperatures of Tuscany.

Race organizers were forced to cut the inland climbs of the course due to heavy snow that has covered Italy this week.

"Today's win was a test of maturity for me and my teammates," confirmed Viviani. "I started with the pressure of repeating last year's win and, despite the hard day due to the weather and the fast pace, I was able to repeat. Compliments to my teammate, who trusted in me from the start and took over the chase to bring the break back so I could go for the sprint. The finale was frantic and chaotic, but the experience gained last year helped me through. I thought that Petacchi was the man to beat, so I held his wheel from three kilometers to go until  three hundred meters. I saw that he wasn't going, so I went to [Sacha] Modolo who had launched his sprint. At seventy meters, I got around him. I'm obviously happy for this victory. After Argentina I wanted a sign of continuity and having found it on a difficult day, makes it even more satisfying. I would like to dedicate it to Alexander, a friend of mine who died recently after being hit by a car. He will be forever in our hearts."

Congratulations, Elia!

Continuity is the keyword as Liquigas-Cannondale starts its eighth season. With the captains and line-up confirmed and the squad strengthened by the addition of five new men, the green-blue team has decided to focus on the most important appointments on the racing calendar to consolidate its position among cycling's elite. Whether it's classics or grand tours, Liquigas-Cannondale has definitely got what it takes to excel in any race.

«We've been pursuing increasingly more ambitious goals since 2005 – said Paolo Dal Lago, the president of Liquigas Spa and Liquigas Sport, - We've achieved important and prestigious results that have earned the team a respectable place in cycling: now the next step is to prove ourselves and keep improving with the professionalism and style that people have always associated with our colours. I'm convinced that 2012 has many moments of great satisfaction in store for us and these will ensure that the names of Liquigas and Cannondale will continue to enjoy success around the world. »

The determination of the Liquigas-Cannondale management is also reflected in the competitive choices made by the team managers. «We know we've got everything in place to aim high and feel very ambitious as we face all our challenges. We've got outstanding riders and the right men to support them over any terrain: all the ingredients are there for a new season at the top, » said Roberto Amadio, the team manager.

Liquigas-Cannondale's 2012 season starts in a few days' time in Australia with Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan as the team's captains. The Italians will chase the dream of winning another big stage race while the Slovak will focus on further improving his performance, particularly for the classics. Sagan's mission also applies to the team's other key riders Eros Capecchi, Daniel Oss and Elia Viviani, who will be aiming to raise the bar as well: their main goal is to confirm the immense potential shown so far. To tackle the wide range of challenges posed this season, these six pivotal riders will be joined by another twenty-two men, including new entries Stefano Agostini, Federico Canuti, Moreno Moser, Daniele Ratto and Josè Sarmiento.

For the 2012 race season, Liquigas-Cannondale will have a full complement of race-ready bicycles at their disposal. For most races, the team's bike of choice will be the SuperSix EVO, which blends silky-smooth compliance with the world's best stiffness-to-weight ratio for a bike that is the perfect expression of efficiency and performance. For time trials, the team will be aboard the newly developed Slice RS aero super-bike; while for rougher races like the Spring Classics - where comfort is at a premium - they will ride the updated Synapse Hi-MOD with its vibration-eliminating SAVE PLUS features. Whatever the race, whatever the terrain, Liquigas-Cannondale will be equipped to win.

The 28 riders, accompanied by team directors Stefano Zanatta, Mario Scirea, Paolo Slongo and Alberto Volpi, will spend 10 days on the island for their first hard training sessions of the season. During the camp, the squad is divided into two groups that will follow different training programs, depending on upcoming race schedules.

“Riders due to start racing in January need a higher level of conditioning so they can race competitively without suffering too much," said team trainer Paolo Slongo.

“These guys will go on longer rides to work on their aerobic training and this will be interspersed with anaerobic work. The second group comprises the riders set to start racing in February. Their program is more about basic training with shorter sessions combined with aerobic training."

When training camp is over, the riders return home to continue training on their own and prepare for upcoming races. The team will start the 2012 season with the Santos Tour Down Under from January 15-22 in South Australia.