The Polese Memorial, this Saturday, EOLO-KOMETA U23’s second date in Italy
28º Memorial Polese
Cimadolmo – Santa María del Piave (157,8 km)
Edoardo Alleva, David Domínguez, Arnau Gilabert, Davide Piganzoli, Gabriele Raccagni and Manuel Oioli compose the ‘six’ with which the team competes this Saturday in Veneto. Arnau Gilabert makes his debut this season in Italy after a good participation in the Circuito del Guadiana, where he finished 23rd; Piganzoli puts on a bib again after another brilliant performance, in this case, with a podium, in the Memorial Sanroma; and Oioli finally makes his debut after having dropped out of the team for the Coppa San Geo at the last minute due to an untimely cold.
The Trofeo Polese is an emerging event on the Italian U23 scene. “It doesn’t have the same history as the Coppa San Geo, for example, but it’s a very well organised race, with a lot of support and it continues to grow year after year,” explains director Dario Andriotto.
From the point of view of the route, it is an ‘easy’ race, with a first 50 or 60 kilometres of flat terrain, a technical circuit with a hard climb (the Colle della Tombola, 1.5 km at 8.8% average) where there are several turns and, again, another 50 or 60 kilometres of flat terrain. “It’s usually a sprint, a big group of fifty or sixty riders. But, as they say, ‘a race is always a race’. It can rain, there can be a breakaway of eight or nine riders who can make it to the finish… Every race day has its own story”.
For Manuel Oioli, the Trofeo Polese will finally be his debut in the new category. An outstanding youngster, with a good top speed. “From a route point of view, the profile of the San Geo might be better adapted to my profile, but the truth is that I’m entering a new category and we don’t know what to expect from the race. The most important thing for the first day is that my physique responds well”, he says.
Despite his crash in the Coppa San Geo, a double crash in fact, David Domínguez is quite recovered and will be in the starting line-up this Saturday. “Above all, I suffered several abrasions and bruises. The worst part was on my right knee, where I suffered an inflammation. I have been able to ride and little by little I feel better and for the weekend it will be at its best. From the San Geo I can say that it was my first experience competing in Italy, I got to know a new way of competing and I got to know a spectacular cycling atmosphere”.
