Team Bahrain Victorious are set to make a first appearance at two recently renewed French races, namely the Classic Var tomorrow and the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, a two-day race on Saturday and Sunday.
Both events take place in the department of Var in the south of France.
The Classic Var will kick off in Le Luc – Circuit du Var and conclude after 163 kilometres in Fayence, featuring a revamped course.
The first half consists of rolling terrain, while the second half becomes increasingly demanding, culminating in a brutal one km uphill finish which averages 11.2 per cent, but has a maximum gradient of 20 per cent.
The one-day race will be especially significant as the line-up includes Lenny Martinez, who claimed victory on Mont Faron in the first edition of the event last year.
“I’m really happy to return to this race, this time with Bahrain Victorious,” said Martinez.
“Last year, I won with a different jersey, and therefore now I’m excited to be part of the team’s debut here. Although the parcours has changed – it’s now a five-minute final climb instead of 20 when I took the victory – but we have a strong squad. Santiago (Buitrago) and I, along with other teammates, have good cards to play. We’ll do our best and aim for a great result.”
Bahrain Victorious sports director Roman Kreuziger believes this will be a good challenge for Martinez, and is confident in the potential opportunities for the team. “It’s Lenny’s first race on home soil with his new team, and I know he’s eager to perform well,” said Kreuziger.
“The final is completely different from last year, and it may actually suit someone like Buitrago better. Fortunately, we have both Lenny and Santiago racing together, which gives us great options.
“We’re also bringing a young but competitive squad, led on the road by the experienced Jack Haig as captain.
“Our two rookies, (Roman) Ermakov and (Oli) Stockwell, showed promising form in Provence, while (Edoardo) Zambanini displayed excellent teamwork in Valenciana. (Finlay) Pickering, after his season debut at GP Castellon, is also eager to race.
“With last year’s winner in our lineup, we know the peloton will keep a close eye on us.”
While Classic Var features a redesigned route, the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes retains a similar parcours to last year.
On stage one (Contes-Gourdon, 162.4km), riders will face a mountain-top finish, with key ascents including Col Saint-Roch, Luceram, and Col de Chateauneuf – totalling 3.308m of altitude gain.
Stage two (Villefranche-sur-Mer-Vence, 131.8km) is shorter but intense, starting with the Col d’Eze, followed by Col de Chateauneuf. The winner could be decided in a reduced bunch sprint after a late battle on the ascents of la Sine.
Kreuziger sees the race as an important test ahead of key dates to come. “The parcours is tough, especially stage one that is particularly demanding,” he noted. “However, it really suits our riders’ characteristics. The second stage, though shorter and with less altitude, remains tricky.”
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