Here the Tirreno-Adriatico. Maestri: “This is the hardest race”.
57th Tirreno-Adriatico
1st stage, Monday, March 7: Lido di Camaiore – Lido di Camaiore (13.9km, time trial)
2nd stage, Tuesday, March 8: Camaiore – Sovicille (219km)
3rd stage, Wednesday, March 9: Murlo – Terni (170km)
4th stage, Thursday 10th March: Cascata delle Marmore – Bellante (202km)
5th stage, Friday 11th March: Sfero – Fermo (155km)
6th stage, Saturday 12th March: Apecchio – Carpegna (213km)
7th stage, Sunday 13th March: San Benedetto del Tronto – San Benedetto del Tronto (159km)
There is a way to know the greatness of a race: look at its roll of honor. To discover who has won it in the past, to flow to find the names of the greatest champions who have been able to write the most beautiful pages of history of this sport.
And if you do that, if you scroll through the roll of honour of the Tirreno-Adriatico, you’ll realize that we’re dealing with one of the greatest races. From Pogacar to Nibali, from Cadel Evans to our Alberto Contador, from Bettini to Saronni, from Moser to De Vlaeminck. So it’s easy to get excited, on an eve like this: tomorrow from Lido di Camaiore the fifty-seventh edition of the Corsa dei due Mari, the EOLO-KOMETA is ready to be there to try to leave its mark.
And to present such a race, the best thing we could do was to have a chat with those who know it well. Mirco Maestri has a special feeling for the Tirreno-Adriatico: in 2017 he came close to winning the points classification (a certain Sagan won…), while in the 2019 edition he achieved the feat of taking home the orange jersey. “Let’s say – he says – that I’ve always liked this race, and it’s here that I’ve done my most beautiful feat: coming back to race it, for now, is the first victory: at Laigueglia I celebrated the return to an Italian race after two and a half years, now I’ll celebrate the return to a World Tour race, always after two and a half years. This will be my third Tirreno-Adriatico: in the other two participations it has always gone well, I’m very happy to be here and I thank the team for this”.
What kind of race is this?
When I turned pro, Sonny Colbrelli, who had taken me under his protective wing and acted as my mentor, always told me: “You’ll see. If you do a Tirreno you’ll realize that it will be the most beautiful and hardest race on the calendar. Because all the champions are there, everyone wants to win, and you fly.” He was right.
What does it feel like to ride it with the EOLO-KOMETA jersey?
It has a special flavor. I’m in my first year with this team, and to have the opportunity to do a race like this means there’s confidence in me and that’s really very important. I’m excited, I really am. Have I thanked the team yet?
Yes.
I’ll do it again. Thank you.
How is EOLO-KOMETA coming to this race?
I see my teammates doing very well. Fortunato is pedaling very well and growing every day, we have a fit Lonardi and Albanese who is doing great things: yesterday at Strade Bianche he was very good. We’ve proven one thing so far: we race as a team. And in a race like this it’s fundamental, because together we can do great things while alone we don’t go anywhere.
“Running with the greats helps you become great.” Whose phrase is that?
Ivan Basso’s, he always repeats it to us and he’s perfectly right. When you’re in the midst of the strongest, by force of things, you’re forced to go faster because it’s forbidden to rest: and this is true in bike racing, but also in life.
So, seven days of fire await us….
We’re ready: in the last days I had some small health problems but the team waited for me and this is a sign of great confidence. It will be difficult to fight for the points classification because there will be few sprints and all close to the finish line, but I want to fight for me and for the team.
Francesco Caielli
Maurizio Borserini
