Mikel Landa, Andrea Raccagni and Filippo Zana will all be in action for The Wolfpack at the Trittico Lombardo.
October brings a number of one-day races on Italian soil for our team in some of the most picturesque and history-filled regions of the country that is known for its culture, gastronomy, and fantastic cycling rivalries that have defined the sport.
Just twenty-four hours after the Giro dell’Emilia, the race that marks Mikel Landa’s first outing since winning the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a España, The Wolfpack will be at the start of Coppa Agostoni, whose hilly course is open to all kinds of scenarios. The route comprising a dozen climbs and 3000 vertical meters is perfect for the attackers to make the difference, but the last 38 kilometers - which are more or less flat - could work in favor of the peloton, who can hope of bringing back the escapees for a reduced bunch sprint.
Soudal Quick-Step will tackle the 79th edition of Coppa Agostoni with Steff Cras, Gianmarco Garofoli, Gil Gelders, Pepijn Reinderink, Martin Svrcek, Mauri Vansevenant, and Filippo Zana.
On Monday, Gianmarco, Gil, Pepijn and Martin will be joined by Andrea Raccagni, Gauthier Sevranckx, and Erazem Valjavec for Coppa Bernocchi, a race where our team has triumphed on two occasions. The riders are set to face a demanding terrain, with the Piccolo Stelvio as the main difficulty of the day, a climb that can easily fragment the peloton and leave a small group in contention by the time they reach Legnano, the site of the famous battle fought between the Lombard League and the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa.
Three years ago, Ilan Van Wilder took a spectacular solo victory at Tre Valli Varesine that will long live in memory. Even though the Belgian won’t be present at the start of the race which is scheduled just a few days after the European Championships where he’ll be in action with the Belgian National Team, that doesn’t mean our squad will be short of options on Tuesday. Steff Cras, Gianmarco Garofoli, Mikel Landa, Andrea Raccagni, Mauri Vansevenant, Filippo Zana, and Soudal Quick-Devo’s Henrique Bravo will be the riders ready to give their best for a good result in the last Italian appointment before Il Lombardia.
“The Italian one-day races taking place just before the end of the season always have something special, that’s why we are glad to be in action there again. It’s three consecutive days of racing on some challenging terrain where we can go on the offensive and show our Wolfpack spirit and mentality, three races which we will start with plenty of motivation and desire to get a good result and an important confidence-boost before Lombardia”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
