Can Francesco Moser’s nephew triumph in his second pro season?
Triumphant yesterday in the GP di Camaiore, the Cannondale Pro Cycling team will line out tomorrow in the Strade Bianche determined to push for what would be its fourth win of the season.
Peter Sagan has been the rider who has clocked up the three previous successes, namely yesterday’s triumph plus two stages in the Tour of Oman. He’ll be closely watched by his rivals tomorrow, but Moreno Moser also showed fine from in yesterday’s race and is another who could snatch a big result.
“I have good memories of the Strade Bianche: its beauty and its difficulty,” said Moser, the nephew of former top Italian champion Francesco Moser.
He was just 52nd in the race in 2012, his debut pro year, but proved his talent with wins in the Trofeo Laigueglia, the Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt and the Tour de Pologne, where he took two stages plus the overall classification.
He was also second in the GP Montréal, a fine haul for a rider who was then just 21 years of age.
Now he heads back to the Strade Bianche with an additional year of racing to his credit. “I’m looking forward to trying it again because I like this race and it intrigues me,” he explained. “I have one year of experience behind me and my only goal is to see how much I can improve.
“I can’t and I don’t want to guess about the final result. I only want to do my best and achieve the same.”
Moser’s uncle Francesco won three Paris-Roubaix titles and was highly skilled on the slippery surfaces of the Hell of the North. If that same bike handling has trickled down through the genes, the younger Moser could well excel in races such as the Strade Bianche; however it remains to be seen if he can make the breakthrough there this year, or if it will take a while longer.
Either way, though, the Cannondale Pro Cycling team has two chances at success. Sagan is also in fine form and is on a confidence high after his wins this season.
He too is intrigued by the event. “The Strade Bianche has attracted me since the first time I raced,” he confirmed. “Yesterday’s win in Camaiore now gives me a big boost of confidence to go after an important result this weekend. But I also know that a lot of champions target this race and there will be some tough competition. My approach is to not think too much and to see what will happen during the race.”
The duo will be backed by Maciej Bodnar, Tiziano Dall’Antonia, Kristijan Koren, Maciej Paterski, Fabio Sabatini and Brian Vandborg.
The Strade Bianche takes the riders over 188 kilometres of tough roads, with climbs and 57.2 kilometres of gravel sections adding considerable difficulty.