Trofeo Laigueglia 2016 Preview
By David Hunter
Laigueglia – Laigueglia 180km
Considering this is 1.HC race, the startlist is very weak. Last year was a bumper year, with BMC, Cannondale, Katusha, Team Colombia and Europcar all adding to the usual bunch of Italian teams. None of these teams are back for 2016 and the race will suffer as a result.
AG2R, Lampre and FDJ are the only world tour teams represented, but we have plenty of pro-continental Italian teams that will sense a great opportunity to win world tour points. Lampre are the defending champions and should really control the race. Davide Cimolai took a slightly surprising win in 2015, before confirming his form with a win in Paris-Nice. The demanding closing circuit was perfect for the Italian fast man, shame he isn’t back to defend his title.
The type of race we get really does depend on the riders. The profile is demanding enough for a small group to get away from the bunch. If the race is fast, the peloton will be very small in the finale. However, if the pace is slow, we could get a bunch sprint with 50 riders. It really does depend on the big teams and their strategy.
The course is too hard for a pure sprinter, so most teams arrive with climbing sprinters.
AG2R – Matteo Montaguti
Delko Marseille – Leandro Duque
Southeast – Enrique Sanz
Bardiani – Sonny Colbrelli
Lampre – Diego Ulissi
FDJ – Kevin Reza, Arthur Vichot
Team Roth – Andrea Pasqualon
Italy – Fabio Felline, Niccolo Bonifazio
Nippo – Grega Bole
As most teams have a strong sprinter, it’s in their interest to try and keep the race together. The weather should hold and the peloton will be treated to a nice day. It doesn’t look a great day for a break but some riders will hope that isn’t true.
Long time readers of my previews will know of my love for Mauro Finetto. He has just signed a contract for 2016 with Unieuro Wilier Trevigiani, after Southeast decided to let him go. It is a significant step down for Mauro, but at least he has a contract. As a rider unwilling to pay his own salary, he has incurred the wrath of some Italian teams. Being able to pay your way, is very important if you want to join Southeast or Androni. It is also hard for him to see teams trying to sign riders with dubious pasts. He has missed out on races before, thanks to his team being banned, through no fault of his own. He is a clean rider but has been punished like a cheat.
Anyway, he rides on in 2016. I hope he has a fire in his belly and he makes a fool of his old team. Finetto is a gifted rider, someone who can climb and sprint. This course is perfect for him, but after so much uncertainty, it will be hard for him to compete at the highest level. He will also have to adapt to riding for a smaller team. This could take some time and he’ll now require more luck in races.
Finetto is certainly one rider that would benefit from a reduced bunch sprint. The same can be said of Diego Ulissi. He returned from his doping ban in March of 2015, and won a stage of the Giro in May. He also won the Memorial Marco Pantani race later in the year. Ulissi and Finetto are actually very similar riders, I know which one I like more! Ulissi’s form hasn’t been as good as he would have hoped. He was 11th in the TDU and 3rd in Etruschi. The performance in Etruschi was a good sign for him and he’ll hope for another demanding race. If Lampre can reduce to bunch to around 15 riders, Ulissi would have a wonderful chance of winning.
The Italian national team will be well represented, as they have Bonfazio and Felline. Bonifazio is fresh from a good performance in Australia. He was 3rd in the Cadel Evans Race and finished 2nd in a stage of the Sun Tour. With plenty of racing in his legs, he has a great chance of winning. Felline was 5th here in 2015 and should act as a great lead-out man for Bonifazio. If they race is very hard, expect Felline to try for a win himself.
Nippo – Vini Fantini are a lucky team. To have a rider like, Grega Bole, back amongst their ranks is amazing. He is a rider who can do everything and had a consistent Giro. He already took a win for the squad, winning the sprint in Etruschi. Nippo will feel confident he could do this again, but they do need to remove riders like Colbrelli and Bonifazio. They need to make the race hard, but not too hard.
The lap circuit features two climbs:-
Colla Micheri – 2.2km at 6.9%
Capo Mele – 1.8km at 4.8%
Three ascents of these climbs is enough to split the field and significantly reduce the bunch. As always in one day races, if the right move goes away, it will stay away.
Prediction Time
Lampre will ensure the pace is high and I think we’ll have a small bunch coming to the finish together. In that scenario, Diego Ulissi, should be the winner. I just hope my old friend Finetto has a different plan!
David HunterFollow us on @CiclismoInterJoin us on facebook: Ciclismo Internacional
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