Coppi e Bartali: Fancellu in the breakaway, Martín and Tercero with the best

First day of the Coppi e Bartali, and first day on the attack for EOLO KOMETA. The day’s menu with start and finish in Riccione included 162 kilometers without a single meter of flat ground. Good terrain for a breakaway from afar of which our Alessandro Fancellu took advantage: after 18 kilometers the climber attacked alone…on the descent immediately taking a 1’30” lead. On the climb of Tavullia, home of motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi, four other riders arrived to keep him company: Teugels (Bingoal), Murgano (Corratec), Merchan (Shimano Sidermec), Petrelli (Technipes). At km 32 the rejoining. A good agreement between the attackers, and the breakaway held well for more than 90 kilometers: the goal was to take the first climbers’ jersey but the Colombian Merchan was faster than everyone on the two KOMs of Mondaino. The breakaway managed to have a 7′ 30” lead before the World Tours unleashed the chase by cancelling the attempt of the five attackers. And it was soon after the rejoining, after 118 km of racing, that Frenchman Cavagna (Soudal Quick Step) broke out of the group, detaching everyone: 32 kilometers solo to the final finish line. Behind, the group arrived 32” behind with our Alex Martin (20th) and Fernando Tercero (27th).

Tomorrow start from Riccione, with an uphill finish in Longiano.

Alessandro Fancellu: “Today there were a lot of points up for grabs for the KOM jersey and the order was to go in the breakaway: I did it first alone, then luckily four others came to keep me company and the breakaway went. Unfortunately I found someone faster than me and I couldn’t take the jersey, but the leg is good and I feel really good. There are a lot of stages ahead, I hope to be able to show off.”

Biagio Conte: “We put Fancellu in the initial breakaway because we wanted to try to take the climbers’ jersey, unfortunately there was a faster rider. Then the group closed on the breakaway, and Cavagna did a great thing coming alone even though we were organized behind coming in at 30”. We had in the first group Martin and Tercero, and right behind Gavazzi and Piganzoli who broke away on the last climb.”