The Czech Republic and its climbs await us
Thursday, July 27, Stage 1: Prostějov – Uničov (164.7 km)
Friday, July 28, Stage 2: Olomouc – Pustevny (163.5 km)
Saturday, July 29, Stage 3: Moravská Třebová – Červenohorské sedlo (158.9 km)
Sunday, July 30, Stage 4: Šumperk – Šternberk (178.7 km)
To look at the four stages of the Sazka Tour, to watch their climbs and finishes, comes such hunger. Hunger for victories. Yes, because the race in the Czech Republic really seems to be full of opportunities to seek some glory for a team that mixes experience and youth. Simone Bevilacqua, Andrea Pietrobon, Andrea Garosio, Giovanni Lonardi, Simone Raccani, Samuele Rivi, Mattia Bais: these are the seven “men in blue” who will try to do themselves credit starting Thursday.
The first day includes the Prostějov – Uničov: 165 kilometers with the first nervous part and the last 50 kilometers flat, and if some sprinters will have managed to hold out in the main group they will be able to play for the victory. The next day will go from Olomouc to Pustevny: a lot of climbing with the tough Pustevny climb to be climbed in the middle of the stage and at the finish. Also very tough is the third stage, from Moravská Třebová to Červenohorské sedlo with four KOMs and another uphill finish. Last dance on Sunday with the Šumperk to Šternberk with a series of KOMs and a final circuit to be repeated 4 times with the Na Valech tear, placed 3000 meters from the finish.
Biagio Conte: “This is a very challenging race, two of the four stages have an uphill finish and one is very nervous: there will be only one stage where there can be a sprint. After a rest period and the Bormio retreat we are keen to have a good restart of the season, we have chosen seven riders who are the last to have raced before going to Bormio. We will try to do a good general classification with Raccani, who showed in Austria that he has a good condition that we refined in the retreat, and we are counting a lot on him. The rest of the team will have to help him and try to be present in the day’s breakaways. Lonardi will try to be a protagonist in the probable sprint of the first stage, while the others will be men who will have to be attentive to the breakaways also because riders like Bevilacqua, Bais, Pietrobon and Rivi will have the chance to find a personal result. Garosio, on the other hand, will be Raccani’s sidekick and will have to stay with him on the most challenging climbs.”
