Time for the Popolarissima of Treviso, a centenary race with a favourable profile for the ‘volata’
106 º Popolarissima
Treviso –Treviso (175,2 km)
A centenary race, with a very long competitive tradition and a high level of participation, hosts this weekend the next sporting challenge of the U23 team of the Contador Foundation on Italian soil. This Sunday comes the Popolarissima, for many the ‘Milano-Sanremo of the dilettanti’, always fixed on the third Sunday of March and with international character since 2017. A monument to the prelude to the great professionalism.
Edoardo Alleva, Arnau Gilabert, Sebastiano Minoia, Andrea Montoli, Gabriele Raccagni and Marc Terrasa make up the sextet called by Dario Andriotto for the race organised by the UC Trevigiani. A basically flat 14.6-kilometre circuit, to be ridden twelve times. The Popolarissima is a fertile ground for the fast riders and the volleys are usual at the finish line in Viale Frà Giocondo.
“On the one hand, I’m a bit nervous because it’s the first race of the season for me, as well as the first race in Italy, and there’s always that unknown of not knowing what you’re going to find. On the other hand, I’m calm because the work is done. We have worked hard to arrive in optimal conditions and we have a good management and good staff whose indications are always very good”, says the Spaniard from the Balearic Islands Marc Terrasa. “I’m eager to give everything, to show myself, to learn a lot and to take advantage of any opportunity the team has”.
Dario Andriotto, director of the U23 squad: “The Popolarissima is a historic race, completely flat, designed for fast people and in which the average of the day, more or less, ends up being 45km/h. It’s not easy for a breakaway to arrive. It’s not easy for a breakaway or a small group to arrive, something has to happen like a crash, a rainy day or a lot of wind… But this is cycling and the option of a surprise is always there. It’s also a long race, with more than 175 kilometres. It’s a long distance for this U23 category and for this stage of the season”.
