19 Aug 2024

A “fast and resilient” Tour Poitou Charentes to close Team Polti Kometa’s August

Tour Poitou Charentes (2.1)

From 20 to 23 August

The French period continues for Team Polti Kometa, which will be competing from tomorrow to Friday in another 4-stage race in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region: the Tour Poitou Charentes. Compared to the lineup that competed last week in Limousin, here we’ll see Mattia Bais replacing his brother Davide, with Fran Muñoz and Diego Sevilla taking the places of Pietrobon and Raccagni. However, the quartet tasked with delivering results remains unchanged: Giovanni Lonardi will be the sprinter, supported by Manuel Peñalver, David Martín and Mirco Maestri.

The captain, who’s improving in form and recently lost the KOM jersey by just one point in Limousin, will also aim for Thursday’s ITT which will shape the GC. Meanwhile the sprint train will have the task of surviving the numerous short climbs scattered throughout the first, the second and the last stages to compete in the uphill sprints expected in Cognac, Niort and the regional capital Poitiers.

At the start of the Giro d’Italia, we had gathered his thoughts as a rookie. Now we find a refreshed Muñoz (pictured in the cover photo of this article alongside Maestri) ready to race again after a two-month break: “After a short rest, I’ve been working consistently to be fully prepared for the last part of the season. I approach this event with great enthusiasm and the awareness that no two days will be the same. It’s a course that isn’t too hard but is very intriguing, where I want to make the most of my preparation.”

As in Limousin, the sports director will be Giovanni Ellena (this time assisted by Stefano Zanatta): “The Poitou Charentes has less elevation – explains Ellena – but the challenges come from the wind, narrow roads and constant changes in pace and direction. I wouldn’t rule out that, despite the odds, some breakaways might surprise us and make it to the finish. Last year, Lona managed to secure a podium spot in one stage and Mirco in the general classification. We want to do well again!”