The ‘strappo’ of San Colombano brings into play a new edition of the Trofeo Sportivi Briga in which the EOLO-KOMETA U23 will make its debut

39ª Trofeo Sportivi Briga
Briga Novarese – Muro di San Colombano (176 km)

The EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 returns to the Italian calendar with a Piemontese Trofeo Sportivi Briga that stands out for its finish in the strappo (steep climb) that goes up to the vicinity of the Oratory of San Colombano. It is not an excessively long climb, around two kilometres, but it has some unpaved sections with significant percentages. After a day that is sure to be ridden at a very lively pace, there will be a great selection of riders to choose from.

The current physiognomy of San Colombano was incorporated into the route of this race in 2018, with the addition of some 400 metres extra to the vicinity of the temple that took out the traditional finish line in the middle of a dense forest, and since then it has always hosted the finish. Until that final climb, with a narrow start in the streets of the town, twelve laps of a circuit around Briga Novarese.

Edoardo Alleva, Sebastiano Minoia, Andrea Montoli, Manuel Oioli, Davide Piganzoli and Fernando Tercero will compete in the race organised by AC Sportivi Briga. “We are facing a race that has a long tradition. After twelve laps of a semi-urban circuit, the hardness is concentrated in the final part. It is a race that always has many attacks, many movements of people, because it is very likely that the breakaway can triumph and, once it is formed, the strongest rider ends up winning”, explains Dario Andriotto. “For this edition, I don’t think there is a squad that can impose total supremacy and it will be difficult for the whole peloton to show up at the start of the climb. We have a very nice team, both Davide and Fernando will be able to get into a more competitive rhythm for the Tour del Porvenir and Andrea and Manuel can also do very well. Oioli lives very close, it’s his home race. The final climb is around a kilometre and a half with a maximum peak of 15%. At the beginning you have to manage 8/9%, then it eases a bit and then the hardest ramp. The finish line is around 8%”