Both team Barloworld and team Quick-Step will be heading to Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in Italy this week. The race is known as the “Race of the two seas” as it crosses Italy from the Tuscan coast to the Adriatic.
Barloworld will be hoping to cash in on their recent success with the objective of winning both stages and doing well overall with team leaders Robbie Hunter and Steve Cummings.
Riders for Barloworld: Robert Hunter, Diego Caccia, Paolo Longo Borghini, Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Patrick Calcagni and Marco Corti
DS for Barloworld: Claudio Corti
Team Quick-Step will be sending a strong lineup to the race as they prepare for their big targets of the season.
“We’ll be present at the race of ’two seas’ with a very competitive team line up,” said Quick-Step Sporting Director Luca Guercilena. “We’ll be able to rely on Tom Boonen for the group sprints. Just like last year Tom has chosen the short Italian stage race as preparation for the Milano-Sanremo. The spring classic Milano-Sanremo race is always one of Tom’s principal objectives for the beginning of the season before the classic ‘cobbles’ races begin. Along side Tom will be Allan Davis who has already gained fantastic results at the Tour Down Under. Allan will be looking to leave his mark in some of the more selective stages. Stijn Devolder who is back racing after having problems with his knee will be looking for a good result in the 5th time trial stage.”
Quick-Step Riders: Tom Boonen, Allan Davis, Dries Devenyns, Stijn Devolder, Kevin Hulsmans, Matteo Tosatto, Marco Velo, Maarten Wynants.
D.s.: Luca Guercilena & Davide Bramati.
44th TIRRENO-ADRIATICO – The stages
March 11 – 1st stage: Cecina-Capannori 147km
March 12 – 2nd stage: Volterra-Marina di Carrara 177km
March 13 – 3rd stage: Fucecchio-S. Croce sull’Arno 166km
March 14 – 4th stage: Foligno-Montelupone 171km
March 15 – 5th stage: Loreto-Macerata 30km
March 16 – 6th stage: Civitanova Marche-Cemerino 235km
March 17 – 7th stage: S. Banedetto-S. Banedetto 169km