CYCLING – TEAM Bahrain Victorious are set to compete with a seven-rider team in the gruelling Vuelta a Burgos, which gets underway today.
The UCI WorldTour event is being held during one of the busiest periods of the calendar. And with the Tour of Poland ongoing, Bahrain Victorious will take on a very different challenge this week in Spain.
Running until Saturday across the hilly and mountainous terrain of the Burgos region, it is considered an ideal build-up to the final Grand Tour of the year: the Vuelta a Espana.
The five-day route is extremely demanding: one punchy uphill finish, one pure sprint stage, two rolling days that could favour breakaways or reduced group sprints, and a decisive mountain showdown on the final day atop the special category Lagunas de Neila.
Added to three first-category and 10 third-category ascents, the peloton will face a total of 14 categorised climbs across the 851.4km, from Olmillos de Sasamon. This is thus a race known to be traditionally suited for climbers, and this 47th edition is no exception.
Bahrain Victorious sports director Neil Stephens said of the team’s approach: “We’re coming into Burgos with a clear mindset – to build momentum and set a strong work ethic from now until the end of the season.
“For some riders, this race will be key in fine-tuning their form for the Vuelta a Espana, while for others, it’s a chance to race for personal results.
“Many of our riders here haven’t pinned on a number since before the summer, so the priority is to get their racing legs back, regain sharpness, and use this race as a stepping stone towards bigger goals. The best way to do that is by racing aggressively and aiming for results along the way.”
Stephens continues with a preview of the stages. “Stage one is a classic opener (Olmillos de Sasamon to Burgos Castillo, 204.6km) with an uphill punchy finish where we’ve had success before with Santiago Buitrago,” he said.
“We’ll aim to replicate that result this year and establish a solid start for the general classification (GC).
“Stage two (Cillereuelo de Abajo to Buniel, 161.6km) is the easiest day and the most suited to sprinters. Stage three (Monasterio de San Pedro de Cardena to Valpuesta, 184.1km) is again a hard one, with the peloton facing the first-cat Orduna climb (8km at 7.5 per cent, peaks at 9pc) before the finish, representing a key point where the race can split.
“Stage four (Dona Santos to Regumiel de la Sierra, 162.7km) is another rolling day that could go either to a sprint or a successful breakaway. Finally, stage five (Quintana del Pidio to Lagunas de Neila, 138.3km) is always the decisive GC battle, finishing atop a demanding ascent. That’s the day we’re really going to try to target the GC.”
Presenting the Bahrain Victorious line-up for the race, Stephens commented: “Road captain and leader of the team here is Damiano Caruso; he wasn’t satisfied with his result in San Sebastian, so he’s motivated to fix that this week. He’ll build form through the stages with the final climb of Lagunas de Neila as the main target for the GC.
“Supporting him in the hillier stages will be Alfonso Eulalio, who’s in great shape and might even get the opportunity to chase a result himself, depending on how the race plays out. The priority remains to protect Damiano, but we want to give freedom to others when possible.
“Finlay Pickering and Torstein Traen will provide additional strength in the mountains, with Torstein also looking for his own opportunities if the chance arises. Rainer Kepplinger will be an important engine in the breakaways and as a key domestique in tough race scenarios. Mathijs Paasschens showed great form in San Sebastian, and Max van der Meulen is returning to racing after a pause.
“They will be crucial in the flatter and transitional stages, especially in echelons and aggressive racing situations. Both of them will have the freedom to go for personal results if it doesn’t conflict with the team’s main objectives. In general, it’s about working together, showing the collective strength of this team, aiming for a top GC result with Damiano, while remaining open and aggressive to seek stage results with others when opportunities arise.”
Having taken part in the past five editions, Bahrain Victorious have had both stage wins and overall victory at the Vuelta a Burgos.
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