July 23 - Factbox on Italy's Damiano Cunego, who
won the white jersey for the best rider of 25 or under in the
Tour de France on Sunday:
Born: Sept. 19, 1981 in Verona
Team: Lampre-Fondital
Height: 1.80 metres. Weight: 65 kilos
Professional victories: 23
*After two uneventful professional years, Cunego shot to
fame when he won four stages en route to a surprising Giro
d'Italia win in 2004.
*Nicknamed 'il Piccolo Principe' (The Little Prince)
*At the age of 23, he became the youngest rider to end the
season on top of the International Cycling Union (UCI) world
rankings.
*Failed to impress in the 2005 Giro d'Italia, finishing a
disappointing 18th after cracking during the first mountain
stage in the Dolomites.
*This year, he won the white jersey for the best young rider
in his first appearance in the Tour de France, after finishing
second on the Alpe d'Huez stage.