The Czech Tour bids farewell to July
Four days in the Czech Republic will be the only stage race that Team Polti Kometa will compete in this month of July, simultaneously with the Ordiziako Klasika on Thursday. The Czech Tour offers a diverse route in which the team’s aspirations include both the fight for stage wins and the general classification.
There will be no easy day in the Czech Tour, with the hills and high mountains as protagonists. The first day will be the clearest opportunity for a sprint with the only climb far from the finish line and the whole finish suitable for a mass sprint. The second stage, in addition to being the longest at 172 kilometres, includes a double climb to Putvesny, which will also be a top finish to start to set the general classification. The 12-kilometre climb to Dlouhé stráne on stage three, another top finish, will put the fight for the overall victory on track, although the fourth stage with four laps of the decisive circuit including the Sternberk climb will keep the suspense going right to the finish line.
Team Polti Kometa is confident of its chances in the general classification, and it does so with Matteo Fabbro showing his desire for prominence in a race that suits him to perfection. The lead will be shared with a formidable Paul Double who continues to achieve great results in his debut season with the team. Surrounding this duo of climbers will be the always decisive presence of Colombian Germán Gómez, while both Erik Fetter and Andrea Garosio can hope for their chances especially in the moves from far away. The line-up is completed by Javi Serrano, who will be the reference in the likely sprint on the first day.
Matteo Fabbro: ‘It’s my first race after the Giro d’Italia and a chance to really check my feelings at the moment and in what shape I’m in. I hope that the physical condition is good and that I have recovered from all the problems I had. For me, it’s the start of what I hope will be a great second part of the season’.
Giovanni Ellena, sports director: ‘We have opted for a line-up focused on climbers, who will try to be protagonists in a really demanding terrain with the two summit finishes and the hard circuits. We have confidence in Double because he has already shown us what he is capable of in this type of hard finish, and I hope that the level will allow us to compete against the WorldTeam’.
