The demanding Andalusia, the next objective of Team Polti Kometa
Always a tough race, where nonetheless Team Polti Kometa has delivered great performances. The Vuelta a Andalucía / Ruta del Sol is the next stop in the team’s hectic schedule. The season beginning, with Davide Piganzoli’s recent victory in Antalya, aims to continue adding great results in southern Spain.
There will be five stages with a predominance of days for climbers and powerful riders. The finish in Cádiar (Granada), on an initial day that includes the Puerto de Trévelez in the central part; the challenging terrain on the way to Alcaudete (second stage), and queen stage (the fourth) with four ascents to the Alto de la Primera Cruz in Lucena which decides the overall race. There’s always the opportunity for breakaways to even surprise the peloton, with the broken terrain and the difficulty of organizing against numerous escapees. For the fastest men, the finishes in Pozoblanco (third stage) and La Línea de la Concepción (fifth stage), always marked by the danger of crosswinds, will be the clearest opportunities.
The race will be contested by Italian Matteo Fabbro, making his debut with Polti Kometa. A fresh signing and undoubtedly a reference in the major events of the calendar, he will be one of the main attractions of a race in which he’ll have the support of young climbers like Álex Martín and Fernando Tercero, along with the experience and reliability of Diego Pablo Sevilla, who will also fight in breakaways alongside the super combative Mattia Bais and Andrea Pietrobon. A double challenge for them, as they will also be the best guides for David Martín when the stage comes down to a sprint. A truly special event for the Andalusian rider, who will compete at home in the race that inspired him to become a professional cyclist.
Matteo Fabbro: “The Vuelta a Andalucía will be my first race this season. It’s time to see ourselves in competition, check the sensations in this start, see if the winter work has been positive, and compete in a race with a strong field. I’d like to achieve a good result and we’ll try to fight for the GC or try our luck in the battle for stage wins, depending on how the race unfolds.”
David Martín: “Andalucía is a race that I hold dear. It’s the hometown race and the race that was a childhood dream to compete in. For me, the most important stage is La Línea de la Concepción, as I practically grew up there, I have many friends and winning there would mean a lot to me.”
Jesús Hernández, sporting director: “The Vuelta a Andalucía is a very tough race, in which we want to be protagonists while being aware of our level. We’ll have to look for breakaways where the team can shine and even have options to compete for partial victories. Furthermore, Fabbro’s debut obliges us to be ambitious with him and with cyclists like Tercero with the aim of achieving a good result.”
