Team Polti Kometa competes in the Strade Bianche with Vittoria Corsa PRO Control tires
When announcing the renewal of the partnership with Vittoria for 2024, Team Polti Kometa listed the various tires at their disposal: among them is the Vittoria Corsa PRO Control, to tackle the most extreme weather conditions and road surfaces such as cobblestones and gravel. And here’s the first opportunity to show it off: tomorrow’s magnificent classic, the Strade Bianche!
The Corsa PRO Control features a new fishbone texture for increased handling capability when cornering, and a thicker tread for greater puncture protection and extended wear-life, making it the perfect choice for the Northern Classics and indeed the Strade Bianche. Superior performance in extreme conditions made possible by the WorldTour-proven technology of Graphene + Silica compound, combined with the timeless perfection of a 320 TPI cotton-blend casing. Electrical curing eliminates seams and increases aerodynamics. Moreover, Corsa PRO Control is a high-confidence racing tire with high grip, an incredibly supple connection to the road and race-tuned rolling resistance. Compared to the standard Corsa PRO, the Control also offers additional puncture resistance due to its slightly thicker tread.
Ivan Moya, Polti Kometa’s head mechanic: “We’re going to use the Vittoria Corsa PRO Control with a width of 30 millimeters. The choice of these tires over the Corsa Pro is due to the sidewall pattern which evacuates sand and possible mud a little better, making them the best solution for the Strade Bianche. Given that the weather forecast for the race is rather negative, we’ll also use slightly lower pressures to have more grip. In the end, the Control has the same structure and compound as the normal PRO, but with a slightly more pronounced design on the sidewall for greater grip in corners and loose dirt roads.”
And who rides with them, what do they think? After this morning’s pre-race recon, here’s what Fran Muñoz, one of the seven Polti Kometa riders who will be at the starting line in Siena tomorrow, has to say: “With these tires, I noticed a significant difference in driving on the roughest stretches. I felt all the stiffness and grip compared to regular ones.”
The input from Tommaso Cappella, Vittoria’s product specialist, was very helpful during the recon: “Corsa PRO Control is developed for racing in rough terrains, like the gravel roads of Strade Bianche or the cobbles of the northern classics – explains Cappella -. Developing the Corsa PRO Control, we worked hard to combine the best rolling performance and suppleness of Corsa PRO, with extra grip and puncture resistance. The result is the preferred tire of the pros for the spring classics”.
Vittoria products’ quality is also guaranteed by the Vittoria Park, a unique proving ground in the world: 5 hectares around the headquarters in Brembate, between Bergamo and Milan, with more than 4 kilometers of tracks replicating every type of terrain that cyclists can face, from road to gravel, including Tuscan white roads and the cobbles of Flanders and Roubaix. There’s even a section with shards and debris of various materials to put the tires to a tough test. In addition to this, an indoor testing area where high-tech machines examine air retention and resistance to punctures and rolling.
A place the Polti Kometa staff had the opportunity to visit, strengthening the enthusiasm for this excellent partnership.
