There are two Italian Autumn Classics on Team Bahrain Victorious’ race calendar this week. Scheduled for Thursday 5th October are the Gran Piemonte, Borgo Franco di Brea to Fabria (152km) and the long-awaited final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. , will run from Como to Bergamo (238km) on Saturday the 7th.
The same teams will be competing in both races, and rider roles will be adjusted between the two races, but the 107th Grand Piemonte will feature a hilly course that can make selection difficult for sprinters, while climbers will be given a chance to shine.
The peloton will race through the Canavese region, tackling four consecutive climbs and technical roads packed into a 74km loop. After passing under the finish line, an unprecedented cycling location begins.
TBV Sports Directors Alberto Volpi and Roman Kreuziger explained: “Up until that moment the course has been flat, but we expect the race to explode with a tough climb in the remaining 30km.” “I believe that Antonio Tiberi has a good chance, even if the race becomes tough. Together with him we will strive for a top-five result. Otherwise, we have Nicolo Blatti as a joker If he survives the climb, that gap won’t be too big to be at the front of the race in the finale. He’s our fast guy and showed good qualities recently at CROrace.
Our stars Mikel Landa and Santiago Buitrago are back in the race after La Vuelta. Therefore, this race will be a kind of prelude to Il Lombardia. They will provide valuable support to our leader and joker in this race, saving energy and running towards the last monument of the season.
It is expected to be a fierce race. In the final, around 50 riders take part in the sprint, with only a quartet or quintet surviving to the finish, unless the difficult second part favors the attackers. ”
Grand Piedmont road captain Andrea Pasqualon, Hermann Pernsteiner and Edoardo Zambagnini complete the line-up. Both riders will be returning to racing for the first time in several weeks and will be providing support throughout the day and looking out for any withdrawals.
After Gran Piemonte, TBV will move to Lombardy, the site of the last Monumental Classic of the year, Il Lombardia. The host cities take turns, starting in Como and finishing in Bergamo after a grueling race. The route has an altitude difference of over 4400 meters. The toughest classics include traditional climbs such as the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo, Roncola, Berbenno, Passo della Crocetta, Zambra Alta and Passo di Ganda, as well as the emblematic climb up to the upper city (Città Alta) and then down. Contains routes. Towards the goal in the center of Bergamo. A course similar to the 2021 edition, where Santiago Buitrago made his race debut.
“After La Vuelta, I am happy to be back racing in the last event of the season and want to end the season in the best possible way. I will be supporting and especially at Gran Piemonte. I’m looking forward to Il Lombardia. I want to be competitive in order to get a good result on a course that suits my captain Mikel and me. Both me and my teammates are motivated.”
The Colombian, who holds the memorable record of finishing on the podium at the prestigious 2023 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, will star on Saturday alongside Mikel Landa, who finished third at last year’s Il Lombardia, and will take part in the “Classic of Liège.” – He will be looking for another podium finish at Bahrain Victorious. Fallen leaves”.
