2024, the beginning of a new chapter for Team Polti Kometa

The objectives, organisation and vision of the cycling team of Ivan Basso, Fran and Alberto Contador are officially announced.

The Polti Kometa cycling team enters the sprint in 2024. The team, officially presented on 10 January at a press conference in Milan, from this year bears the name of Polti, leader in the application of steam for ironing, domestic and professional cleaning, and of Kometa, an agri-food company specialising in the processing and transformation of pork and poultry meat, partner of the Alberto Contador Foundation since 2017. This announcement marks the long awaited return of Polti to the world of cycling, a sport in which it was the undisputed protagonist for 17 years, from 1983 to 2000. A three-year agreement not only strengthens the objectives, but also improves the dynamics of the team since its transition to the ProTeam category.

The collaboration of the champions Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador ensures continuous progress of a project developing towards the future, which makes Polti Kometa an evolving team, which wants to stand out for its strong and unique identity. “Most of its athletes have gone through a development path that began in the under-23 categories” – declares Francisco Contador, General Manager of Team Polti Kometa -. “The work begun in 2013 in the lower categories is bearing the long awaited fruits. Already 8 of the young riders who have grown up with us over the years are part of our professional team.”

Investing in young athletes is a priority, a commitment that is not limited only to physical preparation, but which aims to make the team feel welcomed into a family. Polti’s arrival has already reinvigorated the team. “Cycling is a sport that is characterised by the passion that animates not only the riders, but also the fans” – declares Francesca Polti, CEO of Polti SpA -. “I was pleasantly struck by the testimonies of affection we received from fans from every corner of the world who have the name Polti in their hearts together with this spectacular sport. This new chapter represents a great beginning for us, a project in which we firmly believe and whose values and vision we share.”

There is the same enthusiasm from the CEO of Kometa, Giacomo Pedranzini: “2024 truly marks a new beginning: the energy and determination that Polti brought with it and the sharing of the objectives we set ourselves have given new impetus to the project. Two families of Italian entrepreneurs, the Poltis and the Pedranzinis, united by passion, healthy values and the desire to build a better future for many young athletes who have a team to firmly believe in, contributing by example to improving the future of us all”.

Team Polti Kometa is made up of young talents such as Davide Bais, who has already demonstrated his worth by winning a stage at the Giro d’Italia last season and who has the ambitious goal of seizing significant opportunities in 2024. Another promising player is Davide Piganzoli, who can express his full potential in 2024, at the height of his maturity; with them the Spaniards Alex Martin and Fernando Tercero who, after their successes in the youth categories, are now ready for the leap in quality. Finally, the sign of Matteo Fabbro demonstrates how athletes with experience in the World Tour can find a new dimension and value in a professional team that puts the individual in the foreground.

Ivan Basso is convinced of this: “This year’s team is the strongest we have ever had, from an organisation point of view. I have always believed more in the group than in individuality, we have achieved a perfect balance between the category riders already in the team and the talented young people. I am often asked the question of who will be the new champion, but I believe that it is the team that leaves a trace in history, not the individual.”

The team is led by captain Mirco Maestri who, in addition to his skills as a racer, stands out for his ability to keep the group cohesive, enhancing each member with the example of his daily determination. The goal is to participate in important competitions, starting in the next few weeks in Spain and the competition in Laigueglia at the end of February, confident that they possess the sporting qualities necessary to participate in the key events in the Italian calendar from March onwards.

To achieve these goals, the team is preparing with meticulous precision, maintaining a constant focus on innovation and the care of all equipment, in particular bicycles, fundamental tools that travel thousands of kilometres every year. In this regard, Alberto Contador underlines: “To obtain maximum performance and be able to aspire to obtain important victories, in addition to concentration and daily training, it is necessary to have reliable bicycles such as our Aurum, developed by those who have made cycling their life for years and who, every day, work to develop equipment of the highest quality”.

In continuity with the past, Eolo and Visit Malta confirm themselves as sponsors of Team Polti Kometa.