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Lampre team history, 1991–2016

Lampre was the title sponsor of an Italian professional road cycling team. The steel company first appeared on a pro jersey in 1991, the team in its later form dates from 1999, and it raced as Lampre-Caffita, Lampre-Fondital, Lampre-ISD and Lampre-Merida before its licence passed, in 2016 and 2017, to a new UAE-funded project. The colours were blue and fuchsia, with green added in 2013. These are the milestones this archive tracks.

Quick facts

Lampre in professional cycling
From 1991 (co-sponsor of Colnago–Lampre) to 2016; the team in its later form is registered from 1999
Team names
Lampre-Daikin (1999–2002), Lampre (2003–2004), Lampre-Caffita (2005), Lampre-Fondital (2006–2007), Lampre (2008), Lampre-NGC (2009), Lampre-Farnese Vini (2010), Lampre-ISD (2011–2012), Lampre-Merida (2013–2016)
Colours
Blue and fuchsia; green was added in 2013 with the co-sponsor Merida
Riders featured
Damiano Cunego, Michele Scarponi, Rui Costa, Alessandro Petacchi, Diego Ulissi
General manager (2011–2016 pages)
Giuseppe Saronni
Successor
In 2016 the WorldTour licence was transferred; after a first season as UAE Abu Dhabi the project became UAE Team Emirates

1991: Lampre arrives in pro cycling

The Italian steel company Lampre appears on a professional jersey for the first time, as co-sponsor of the Colnago–Lampre team. The team in its later form is registered from 1999, as Lampre–Daikin.

Raced as Colnago–Lampre.

2005: Cunego arrives as Giro champion

After winning the 2004 Giro d'Italia with Saeco, Damiano Cunego joins the newly formed Lampre-Caffita squad and stays with the team for a decade.

Raced as Lampre-Caffita.

2008: Cunego wins Il Lombardia again

Cunego takes Il Lombardia in 2007 and again in 2008 in the team's colours, confirming him as one of the great climbers of his generation.

Raced as Lampre.

2011: Scarponi and the pink jersey

Michele Scarponi finishes second at the Giro and is later awarded the 2011 overall title after the original winner was stripped.

Raced as Lampre-ISD.

2012: Scarponi leads at Tirreno-Adriatico

In March 2012 Michele Scarponi finishes seventh overall at Tirreno-Adriatico, with fifth on the mountain stage to Prati di Tivo. The team then lines up at Milano-Sanremo with Cunego and Petacchi as captains.

Raced as Lampre-ISD.

2013: A new name, a new colour

The team becomes Lampre-Merida and green joins fuchsia and blue on the kit. In the autumn it signs the reigning world champion, Rui Costa, who won the title in Florence while riding for Movistar.

Raced as Lampre-Merida.

2014: Cunego's tenth and last season

After ten years in blue and fuchsia, Damiano Cunego ends his time with the team in 2014. Rui Costa rides the season in the rainbow jersey; at Il Lombardia, his first race without it, he confirms he is still a top rider.

Raced as Lampre-Merida.

2017: A new chapter

In 2016 the WorldTour licence was transferred, and after a first season as UAE Abu Dhabi the project became UAE Team Emirates. The fuchsia-and-blue era ends, and this archive keeps it in view. In 2017 the old lampreteam.com address also starts redirecting to an Abu Dhabi website.

Raced as UAE Abu Dhabi, then UAE Team Emirates.

See also the race calendars, the news archive and Col Rush.