In the week of Sanremo, Team Polti Kometa sets its sights on the Milano-Torino

Since it was relocated to March two years ago as an appetizer for the Sanremo, the Milano-Torino takes on a particularly sprinter-friendly character. However, the one that will kick off the day after tomorrow from Rho, the 105th edition of the world’s oldest cycling race, has a certain unpredictability due to the undulating finale: after the completely flat section among the rice fields, the second half of the route in Canavese includes the (not too demanding) climbs of Silva, Prascorsano and Colleretto Castelnuovo, before the false flat finish in Salassa.

For this reason Team Polti Kometa is fielding a lineup of excellent support riders around sprinter Giovanni Lonardi: there’s captain Mirco Maestri, the brothers Mattia and Davide Bais, the young Colombian German Gomez, Andrea Pietrobon, and Diego Sevilla.

Of these seven men, four completed the Tirreno-Adriatico yesterday. Among them is Maestri, who was the best-placed of his team in both 2022 and 2023 at Milano-Torino. “After a good corsa dei due mari I’m ready to give my best with my teammates in this classic and then on Saturday in Sanremo – assures the leader of Polti Kometa’s roster -. The lively finale could suit us, in case some other sprinter struggles and we resist with a Lonardi in great form. We have high expectations and we have prepared well to try to bring home some points!”

The designated sports director could only be a true-born Piedmontese like Giovanni Ellena: “The last 40 kilometers are open to multiple scenarios – he explains – not only because of the elevation profile but also because there are several tricky roads. Moreover, we’ll pass within 500 meters from my home… I’ve been crossing my fingers all week, since last October I followed the Gran Piemonte from the hospital (he smiles ed)”.