EOLO-KOMETA debuts as ProTeam managing adversity and with a sixth place for Pacioni
Clàssica CV 1969 – GP València.
La Nucía-Tavernes de la Valldigna (98 km).
An unforgettable day with Luca Spada, CEO of EOLO, as guest of honour. Luca Pacioni signed a sixth place for the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team in the competitive start of the 2021 season, which took place this Sunday in a reborn Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana that was held on a reduced route at the last minute in order to ensure the celebration of the race with the maximum health guarantees.
The forecast of a sprint revolution was fulfilled for this rebirth of the former Trofeo Luis Puig. Pacioni, for whom his team-mates worked to perfection and who was launched at the last stage by Mattia Frapporti, finished sixth in a sprint where the fastest rider was the Frenchman Lorrenzo Marzin (Total-Direct Energie).
The initially planned route, 150 kilometres between the Alicante town of La Nucía and the city of Valencia, had to be shortened due to the current health situation in the Valencia region. The organisers placed the finish near the Tavernes de la Valldigna beach area, 50 kilometres short of the course. The start of the race maintained all its spiciness, with the passage through the Coll de Rates and a more broken first half of the Classic and a more favourable second half.
The ‘blue train’ managed to overcome a complicated moment of the race when, in the last 40 kilometres, a move by the French Arkea caused a break of nineteen riders. It was a time when the race was flying at 64 km/h. Intense work by the EOLO-KOMETA men enabled the neutralisation to be completed in the last twenty kilometres.
“We had seventeen very intense kilometres, we worked very hard to bring down the break. Francesco Gavazzi’s experience has been key to manage this race situation. Gava gave us peace of mind, he organised us and we were able to start leading the chasing group straight away”, explained Samuele Rivi.
In the sprint, despite some breakaway attempts in the final eight kilometres, EOLO-KOMETA worked for Pacioni’s chances. “We protected Luca as much as possible for the sprint, looking for the best possible position to launch him. We spent a lot of strength to close the cut. But I think we did a good job in this first race”, said Mattia Frapporti, twelfth at the finish.
[ PhotoGomezSport]
