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Bahrain Victorious will compete in the Giro dell’Emilia (1.Pro) tomorrow, after a four-year absence from the event.
The team last participated in 2020, when the pandemic shifted the race to August. However, the most memorable moment in this Italian Autumn Classic came in 2017, during the team’s debut season, when Giovanni Visconti claimed victory ahead of teammate Vincenzo Nibali.
For this 107th edition, Bahrain Victorious will take on the challenging roads around Bologna with a climber-heavy squad, ideal for the course’s demanding finale.
Antonio Tiberi, Damiano Caruso, and Wout Poels will lead the team, with the race likely to be decided on the iconic San Luca climb, a 2.1km climb at a punishing 9 per cent gradient, which is tackled five times.
San Luca has featured in Grand Tour stages recently, specifically the 2019 Giro d’Italia’s uphill time trial, and the Tour de France’s Grand Depart in Italy this year, making this classic more popular and more attractive to the world’s top climbers. The Giro dell’Emilia is also a key part of riders’ preparation for Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season.
For the first time in the race’s history, the start will be in Vignola, with three flat laps of 17km each. The parcours then takes on several challenging climbs, including Zocca (13.9km at 3.9pc), Grizzana Morandi (6.2km at 5.8pc), and Montechiaro (3.1km at 9.7pc, 18pc max), before entering the San Luca circuit (4 x 9.2km). In total, the riders will cover 215.5km with 3,403 metres of elevation gain.
Sports director Gorazd Štangelj commented: “While we had to withdraw Pello Bilbao after his crash at the Worlds, we still have a strong lineup. In such a tough race, motivation is as important as form. As always, we expect the first climb of San Luca to cause a significant selection, and staying in the lead group will require both strength and mental grit.”
Nikias Arndt, Andrea Pasqualon, and young stagiaire Vlad Van Mechelen, will protect the leaders Tiberi, Poels and Caruso. The veteran Italian will also act as road captain. On the final circuit, Torsten Træen will also lend support.
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