Vuelta a Asturias, a talismanic race
On the road to the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a Asturias is the last stop. The final opportunity to polish all the details. But it is also the scenary on which Team Polti Kometa has achieved great performances in recent years. It did so in 2023 with Lorenzo Fortunato (queen stage and overall) and now it is looking to repeat that result.
The three stages will be somewhat less demanding this year for a route that starts on Friday with El Cordal as the first judge to decide the winner and leader in Pola de Lena. The easiest day will be the second, although it includes six KOM climbs on the way to the finish, ideal for a reduced sprint in Ribadesella. The ascent of the Violeo in the final 15 kilometres of the final stage will mark the end of the Vuelta a Asturias.
The line-up called up by Team Polti Kometa will have Jhonatan Restrepo as leader thanks to his versatility and ability to win in the three days. With that objective, his team-mates will try to protect the interests in the different terrains, as it is the case of the young climber Álex Martín, reference for the hardest moments, Javi Serrano in the sprint finishes or Fran Muñoz, Andrea Garosio and Davide De Cassan who will be able to aspire also to their own options in the race. Special mention to Davide Bais‘ return after the fall he suffered in the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps. Now recovered, he is looking forward to the opportunities offered by the Vuelta a Asturias.
The Italian Bais says he is “ready for the competition, I feel good and I hope to get back to my level in a race that is always demanding. This motivates us to try to do well, like our mates in Turkey, and I’m happy to be part of it”.
Jhonatan Restrepo is confident that he will be up to “the high level of the race. We are preparing for the Giro, looking to arrive with rhythm. We are doing a great job as a team, in all the races we have competed in. Personally, I hope to get good results this week to allow us to arrive with morale to the big event of the year”.
Jesús Hernández, sports director: “It’s not the Vuelta a Asturias we are used to, with the absence of the hardest climbs and the presence of a WorldTeam like UAE Team Emirates that will surely try to dominate. For our part, we don’t have a great leader either, although I think we will be able to be protagonists in the breakaways and in the outcome of the stages”.
