Three Italian Pro Continental teams — Androni Giocatolli-Sidermec, Bardiani CSF Faizane and Vini Zabu KTM (formerly known as Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia) — are set to spice up the competition when the 25th PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi begins in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah next week.x
The three teams also have an added incentive to do their best at the LTdL.
Although they have been granted wildcard slots in the Giro d’Italia 2020 (May 9-31), they will have to prove to the organisers, RCS Sport, that they are worthy of the spots by doing well in the UCI ProSeries LTdL race, which will be held from Feb 6-15.
The Androni riders are Gianni Savio, Luca Chirico, Nicola Venchiarutti, Mattia Viel, Kevin Rivera Serrano and young Equadorian Jefferson Cepeda Ortiz.
Bardiani, who were known as Scrigno and Panaria when they used to compete in the LTdL in the early years, will be led by Mateo Pelucchi.
He is best remembered for helping Androni bag three stage wins last year.
Others in Bardiani’s roster include Giovanni Lonardi, Fabio Mazucco, Alessandro Teodoro Monaco, Alessandro Pessot and Daniel Savini, while Marco Benfatto, who won Stage Eight in Langkawi last year, and Alessandro Tonelli have been put on standby.
Meanwhile, team Vini Zabu will parade the likes of Lorenzo Fortunato, Jan Petelin and Francesco Manuel Bongiorno.
By NST Sports - January 28, 2020 @ 9:23am