This Saturday 6th of May, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty will start its third Tour of Italy. The team of Jean-François Bourlart returns to the event in which it shone in its first two participations with three memorable stage wins and a double top ten in the final classification.
The 106th edition starts on May 6th in Abruzzo and ends in Rome on May 28th after 3448.6 kilometer of racing. The three weeks contain seven mountain stages from which five uphill finishes, three time trials summing up to 70 kilometer and a passage through Switzerland.
PARCOURS
The first leader’s jersey will be awarded after a time trial of 18.4 kilometer in the Chieti province. After several hilly stages, for example to Lago Laceno and Napoli, the first mountain top finish takes place on day seven on the slopes of the Gran Sasso d’Italia (2135 meter) in the Apennins. The second individual time trial of 33.6 kilometer after nine days precedes the first rest day.
During the second week the peloton will head north in Italy to reach Switzerland on day thirteen, with a mountain top finish in Crans-Montana after conquering the Col du Grand San Bernard (2469 meter), the Cima Coppi or roof of this edition. The second and last rest day takes place after the fifteenth stage around Bergamo.
Three of the five mountain top finishes are scheduled during the final week, respectively towards Monte Bondone (stage 16), Val di Zoldo (stage 18) and Tre Cime di Lavaredo (stage 19). Last named is considered the queen stage, passing over the Passo Campolongo, Passo Valporola, Passo Giau and the Passo Tre Crochi in the Dolomites.
The battle for the pink jersey will end with an 18.6 kilometer time trial towards the top of the Monte Lussari and an entirely flat stage through the streets of the capital.
SELECTION
Among the eight selected riders, two men contributed to the amazing collective success in the latest edition, in which the team collected not less than eleven top five finishes. Rein Taaramäe, stage winner in 2016, was part of three long breakaways which made it to the finish, to the Etna (3rd) and towards Genova alongside Lorenzo Rota, who finished less than a bike length away from the stage win. The vice Italian champion will participate to his national tour for the fourth time.
With Rota, Niccoló Bonifazio and Simone Petilli, the complete Italian contingent of the team will participate to the Giro. Bonifazio sprinted three times to the podium in his only participation in 2018. He recently took his first win for the team in the Giro di Sicilia, with the support of Simone Petilli, who finished eight in the final classification and will participate to the Giro for the fourth time.
Sven Erik Bystrøm is on the eve of his sixth Grand Tour and Giro debut, just like three Belgian talents. Laurens Huys (24), Arne Marit (24) and Laurenz Rex (23) will make their Grand Tour debut. Marit obtained his first World Tour top ten results this spring in stage of Paris-Nice and the Volta Catalunya. Huys contributed to several team victories as a perfect domestique. Rex, revelation of Paris-Roubaix, took his first professional win one month before when he was making his return in competition after an injury.
« I have excellent memories from our first two participations to the Giro d’Italia. Two years ago we started with a liberating and extraordinary victory of Taco van der Hoorn. Last year we were witness of the revelation of Biniam Girmay and we ended with two riders in the top ten of the final classification. This success was the result of a true fighting spirit and a collective will to realize the impossible. This spirit will again be our weapon the next three weeks to get the best out of this Giro d’Italia. »
« In each stage we’ll be looking for the possibilities to achieve the best possible result with our riders. Therefore we’ll analyze the evolution of the general classification day by day, trying to predict which teams aim to control. Our riders will show themselves and this from the beginning of the Giro. The third stage could already be an opportunity for a breakaway. One and a half year ago Rein Taaramäe showed that in this way it is even possible to take the double: win a stage and conquer the leader’s jersey. »
« This Tour of Italy will be an important step in the development of our three young Belgian talents. Next to Taaramäe, they can rely on other experienced riders, who also made our colors shine on the attack in the most important races. I’m thinking of Lorenzo Rota, who was close to a stage win last year, and of Sven Erik Bystrøm, who won the first combativity award in the latest Tour de France. I also believe in the chances of Laurenz Rex in a breakaway. With Niccoló Bonifazio and Arne Marit we have two fast riders in our team. In the mountains I’m looking forward to the performances of Laurens Huys, Simone Petilli and Taaramäe. »
« At the end of 2021 I was invited in Ortona to announce the new collaboration between Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and Vini Zabù. It was a proud moment for myself to welcome the Sciotti family in our team, after spending one year in an Italian team with Vini Zabù as title sponsor. It is of great value for our team to be able to rely on partners as them, who carry cycling in their hearts. The start in Pescara brings an additional dimension to our motivation to give the best of ourselves and to show our new jersey. »
« My form in this period of the year has never been better. In my preparation I’ve done everything I wanted to do. My good feeling in Eschborn-Frankfurt confirmed that I will start my fourth Tour of Italy in top shape. During the first two weeks there are quite a lot of stages which suit me. With the team we will see the situation day by day and alternate, to go full for the highest possible result with a certain rider in each stage. Personally, I pay attention to the stage towards Bergamo, the city in which I arew up. This fifteenth stage gives me an additional incentive. But I don’t plan to wait so long to show myself! »
Giro d’Italia :
Stage 1 (06/05): Costa dei Trabocchi Fossacesia – Marina Ortana(19,6km)(TT)
Stage 2 (07/05): Teramo – San Salvo (201km)
Stage 3 (08/05): Vasto – Melfi (216km)
Stage 4 (09/05): Venosa – Lago Laceno (175km)
Stage 5 (10/05): Atripalda – Salerno (171km)
Stage 6 (11/05): Napoli – Napoli (162km)
Stage 7 (12/05): Capua – Gran Sasso d’Italia (Campo Imperatore) (218km)
Stage 8 (13/05): Terni – Fossombre (207km)
Stage 9 (14/05): Savignano sul Rubicone – Cesena (35km) (= TT)
15/05: Rest day
Stage 10 (16/05): Sacnadiano – Viareggio (196km)
Stage 11 (17/05): Camaiore – Tortona (219km)
Stage 12 (18/05): Bra – Rivoli (179km)
Stage 13 (19/05): Borgofranco d’Ivrea – Crans Montana (207km)
Stage 14 (20/05): Sierre – Cassano Magnago (193km)
Stage 15 (21/05) Seregno – Bergamo (195km)
22/05: Rest day
Stage 16 (23/05): Sabbio Chiese – Monte Bondone (203km)
Stage 17 (24/05): Pergine Valsugana – Caorle (195km)
Stage 18 (25/05): Oderzo – Val di Zoldo (161km)
Stage 19 (26/05): Longarone – Tre Cime di Lavaredo (183km)
Stage 20 (27/05): Tarvisio – Monte Lussari (18,6km) (= TT)
Stage 21 (28/05): Roma – Roma (115km)
Selection:
Niccoló Bonifazio
Sven Erik Bystrøm
Laurens Huys
Arne Marit
Simone Petilli
Laurenz Rex
Lorenzo Rota
Rein Taaramäe
Sports Directors:
Aike Visbeek
Steven De Neef
Valerio Piva
