A top-10 finish each for the Polti Kometa sprinters at the Tour Poitou Charentes: today Peñalver 9th in Niort

The second stage of the Tour Poitou Charentes was the most suited for sprinters, and Team Polti Kometa fought together towards the bunch finish in Niort. The squad stayed united and well-positioned in the peloton until 5 km from the finish, when the 4-men breakaway that animated the day was caught.

From there, it was all about preparing for the sprint (won by Fretin of Cofidis) with Giovanni Lonardi supporting Manuel Peñalver, who secured 9th place. This marks a top-10 finish for both Polti Kometa sprinters, with Lonardi finishing 7th yesterday and 16th today. Tomorrow, the time trial will shape the general classification.

Peñalver: “The final stretch was only 150 meters instead of the 400 meters it seemed to be. Still, I was really happy to sprint as the finisher and secure this result. I want to thank everyone for their trust in me, I’m confident that we have the strength to finish the Tour Poitou Charentes in the best possible way!”

Sports Director Giovanni Ellena: “We can only speak highly of how our riders raced. Unfortunately, due to an error in the racebook and the GPX file, the last corner was much closer to the line than we anticipated, so we arrived a bit long. Nevertheless, we achieved a good result and are also aiming to reclaim the polka-dot jersey just lost.”