A versatile Team Polti VisitMalta will take on the walls of Cholet

Team Polti VisitMalta is ready to take on its only non-Italian race of the month. For the first time in its history, tomorrow the team of Ivan Basso and the Contador brothers will compete in the Cholet Agglo Tour, a French semi-classic in the Loire region. The course initially winds through 150 kilometers around Cholet featuring 8 short steep climbs, before entering the city circuit which includes the 200-meter 7% gradient Rue Surcouf to be tackled 7 times.

Breakaway specialists? Attackers? Sprinters? To be competitive in any scenario, Polti VisitMalta will field both of its sprinters, Giovanni Lonardi and Manuel Peñalver, along with team captain Mirco Maestri, an escape artist like Samuele Zoccarato, an aggressive rider like Andrea Pietrobon, a climber like Davide Bais, and the only rider in the squad yet to make his season debut: Aidan Buttigieg, who will showcase his new Maltese national champion jersey crafted by Gsport.

Buttigieg: “This is the first season I’m truly starting as a professional, and on the eve of my first race I feel incredibly excited. I’ve trained all winter without neglecting a single detail and I can’t wait to put my abilities at the service of this team. With everyone’s contributions and qualities, we definitely have great chances in the finale!”

Sports Director Stefano Zanatta: “This is a typical French race, with narrow roads and unpredictable weather. You have to stay focused every meter of the way, which is why we’re bringing a strong and experienced lineup that will allow us to fight for a good result.”