By no means been to Italy however with every race I see I need to go greater than ever. We now have two cat 5 one-day races on faucet this week, each kinda climby, by which I imply that sprinters needn’t apply.

First up, close to Pisa in Tuscany, a bit inland, Pontedera to be actual, the 96th operating of the Giro della Toscana

These two climbs. Monte Serra executed twice, makes this a climby affair. Final yr Sivakov received narrowly over Carapaz (4 seconds) with Grosschartner 48 seconds again and Pogacar and Zana 1:28 in arrears.

This yr, what with the Vuelta simply ending, the Euro TT going down in addition to the Canadian races, there’s much more competitors for riders. This yr we bought Diego Ulissi, who has been doing effectively in cat 5 races this summer season when you’ve been watching larger profile races. Jefferson Alverio Cepeda, aka the Caja Rural Jeff Cepeda, can also be right here together with Lutsenko, Storer, Jan Christen, Piganzoli, and so forth: the same old suspects who like to hold in Italy for the summer season.

2. And if that is not sufficient for you the following day we get the 72nd version of Coppa Sabatini in Peccioli, simply down the valley from Pontedera so the riders do not must journey for it. Additionally it is a bumpy race with most of the identical riders however with the addition of Mr. Summer time himself, Mr. Marc Hirschi. Assume I’m kidding? In July and August Hirschi’s outcomes are:

1. 1st on the Czech Tour
2. sixteenth on the Olympics highway race
3. 1st @ San Seb
4. 1st @ Bretagne Traditional Ouest-France
5. 1st @ GP Industria & Artigianato

Hirschi’s bought to be the favorite and his workforce ought to dominate the race. Oh-and Hirschi received the race final yr. (Determining why Hirschi is just not at subsequent week’s Euro highway race is an train finest left to the reader.)

Take pleasure in!