The #OrangeBlue are ready to ride the second appointment, from Wednesday the official start fo the Ruta del Sol in Spain, from Thursday the Tour of Antalya in Turkey. Forfait for Filippo Zaccanti because of the left hand fracture due to the fall during Trofeo Laigueglia last Sunday.
Intense week for the #OrangeBlue riders, expected from the double Turkish-Spanish trip. Wednesday 20th the team will be at the start of the Vuelta Andalucia Ruta del Sol, Thursday 21 of the Tour of Antalya. While 6 #OrangeBlue are on the way back from the double South American trip that saw the team competing between Argentina and Colombia, another 10 athletes are ready to take off. Among them there isn’t Filippo Zaccanti who just today would had to fly in Turkey. Involved in a fall to the Laigueglia Trophy will be forced to a stop of at least 30 days because of the basic fracture of the III metacarpal of the left hand.
VUELTA ANDALUCIA, RUTA DEL SOL.
Five stages from 20 to 24 of February in Andalucia. The Ruta del Sol will see many World Tour teams and some of the best European Professional Teams at the start for a total of 19 teams on the start-line. The NIPPO Vini Fantini Faizanè team will line-up 7 athletes, including the young Italian Nicola Bagioli, on the podium of the Laigueglia Trophy, the Spaniards Juan Josè Lobato and Joan Bou who are very motivated by the race on their home roads, two leaders such as Marco Canola and Moreno Moser and the Japanese rider Sho Hatsuyama, victim of a fall to the last Laigueglia Trophy but ready to shake their teeth for the team.
These the words of the Sports Director Mario Manzoni approaching the Spanish race also taking into account the Italian race just ended last weekend:
“Unfortunately, the Trofeo Laigueglia, in addition to giving us important indications and good results with Bagioli, left us three bad falls involving Lonardi, Hatsuyama and Zaccanti. If Lonardi has not reported consequences, Zaccanti unfortunately will not be in Turkey, while Hatsuyama will take strong to be at the start of the Ruta del Sol. For him there should be no fractures but still a bad bruise that will certainly do not help him to ride at his best. However, we start confident with JJ Lobato on the way home, the Spanish Joan Bou equally motivated, while Marco Canola and Nicola Bagioli are in excellent condition and very motivated. Moreno Moser gave excellent signs of growth at the Laigueglia Trophy. This is why we are very motivated to be aware of the fact that some stages are adapted to our characteristics.”
The official line-up:
Juan Josè Lobato, Marco Canola, Nicola Bagioli, Moreno Moser, Joan Bou, Sho Hatsuyama.
TOUR OF ANTALYA.
From Thursday 21 in Turkey will start also the Tour of Antalya, to which Filippo Zaccanti should have taken part. The team will be at the start with two Italian athletes and two Japanese athletes. Prevalence of fast wheels in the #OrangeBlue line-up, although for Hayato Yoshida and Hiroki Nishimura it will be the first race of the season, therefore useful to test above all on the race pace.
These the words of the Italian Sports Directors:
“Unfortunately, we will be forced by injuries to present ourselves at the start with a reduced line-up, but strongly motivated to do well in the stages that are congenial to us. With the forfait of our climber we will focus on the sprint arrivals, with Giovanni Lonardi, Damiano Cima and Hayato Yoshida, who in his first race of the season, as well as his teammates as Hiroki Nishimura will first have to find the right race pace to then try to sting in the finals of stage.”
The official line-up:
Hayato Yoshida, Damiano Cima, Giovanni Lonardi, Hiroki Nishimura.
THE INJURY OF FILIPPO ZACCANTI.
A good podium, but also bad news from Trofeo Laigueglia for the #OrangeBlue team. Unfortunately there were several falls in the group, three of which involved the #OrangeBlue athletes. An unfortunate fall of the Israeli team athlete involved Giovanni Lonardi in the feeding zone, but the athlete came out unharmed continuing the race. Not so lucky Sho Hatsuyama, the victim of a downhill fall and retired and later Filippo Zaccanti, who fell in the same descent to the next lap. If for Sho Hatsuyama it is only a strong contusion, for the young Italian climber the report is a fracture of the III metacarpal of the left hand. At least 30 days of stop for Filippo Zaccanti that will then try to be back to trainings after at least one month of stop. The whole team makes the greatest good luck to Filippo for a speedy recovery.