Luxembourg, facing the end of the stage races season
Six riders of Team Polti Kometa will face the Skoda Tour of Luxembourg from next Wednesday. One of the last stage races of the season in which the team will be looking for stage victories both in the sprint and from possible breakaways, as well as the options to fight for the general classification.
After the European Road Championships last Sunday, with a spectacular work of Mirco Maestri giving presence to the Italian National Team, and the final event of the week of classics in Italy, the Matteotti Trophy in which Luca Bagnara and Aidan Buttigieg made their debut, now the team travels to Luxembourg.
The usual steep terrain will be the keynote of the race, which starts in the capital city with 158 kilometres and four climbs. The second day should be more accessible, and includes three laps of the final circuit of Schifflange with a hard climb that will try to prevent the arrival of the purest sprinters. With more than 200 kilometres, the queen stage on Friday calls for the strongest riders on a route that alternates between three climbs and three laps of the final circuit in Diekirch. The overall will be decided in a relatively flat 15km time trial in Differdange. The final day in Luxembourg also features a three-lap circuit that will decide the overall winner of the race after 177 kilometres.
The squad for the Skoda Tour of Luxembourg is led by Mirco Maestri, who has just won the gold medal in the Team Relay at the European Championships with the Italian national team. Great sensations for the transalpine cyclist, who also faces a course that is favourable to his characteristics. In the mountain days, Davide Piganzoli will be the reference for the team that also has brothers Davide and Mattia Bais. For the sprint opportunities, Giovanni Lonardi will be looking to continue adding in a great season for him with the support of Javi Serrano from Madrid. A group of six riders with great expectations to shine in the competition.
Mirco Maestri: ‘It’s a pretty tough race, where we have to rely on Davide Piganzoli for the most demanding days. But at the same time I think we can aim for good results with Lonardi in the sprint finishes. We will be protagonists every day, because the team comes from competing at a good level in Italy and is ready for this race’.
Stefano Zanatta, sport director: ‘The time trial on the penultimate day will not be decisive but it will mark the overall classification. We have the guarantee of the great performance of the riders, with Mirco in the European Championships or the rest of the riders in the Italian classics. Our debut as a team in the race will be a nice experience in which we hope to be able to play a leading role and achieve great results’.
