In his first race of the season with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty this Friday, Francesco Busatto finished just outside the podium of the Muscat Classic, a new one day race organized in the Sultanate of Oman one day before the national tour.
The 20 year old Italian was the first rider of Continental Development Team Circus-ReUz-Technord to race in the colors of the World Team. This winter, he accompanied Intermarché-Circus-Wanty in several events such as the two winter training camps in Alicante.
This Friday, he survived on the selective circuit after accelerations of his teammates Louis Meintjes and Rein Taaramäeon the final climbs. A peloton of around thirty men arrived in the final kilometer and the young Italian rider took fourth place in the sprint of this first edition.
« It is fantastic to start my season in this way! This fourth place is thanks to the advice of my teammates. With all his experience, Rein Taaramäe tempered my enthusiasm in the final, saying that I could focus on the sprint whilst he and Louis attacked. For my first race with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, the main lesson that I will keep in mind is the importance of a good communication to be able to pretend to a good result. » « It was a privilege to spend so much time with the pros last winter and grow alongside them. I learned a lot during the many performance activities such as the bike fittings, the effort tests, the aero tests on the track in Amsterdam and of course the two winter training camps in Alicante. I consider these experiences with the World Team important for my future. During the training camp I received valuable advice from my roommate Simone Petilli, with who I built a strong bond now. » « Tomorrow I'll participate in the Tour of Oman, aiming to help the team in the best possible way. I'll follow the instructions of our sports director Valerio Piva, which might be very varied so I can learn from all different tasks. I'm satisfied about my form at this period of the season. I'm especially looking forward to the first and fourth stage, which correspond best to my profile of puncher-climber. »
