Team Polti VisitMalta played a key role in the breakaway of the Cholet Agglo Tour with a man who is a guarantee in this regard: Andrea Pietrobon. He broke away on the first climb of the day with five others and was caught after more than 150 kilometers at the front. Meanwhile, on the rain-soaked roads, Giovanni Lonardi slipped but managed to get back in the race. In the technical city circuit that decided the French semi-classic, Polti VisitMalta’s other fast wheel Manuel Peñalver was also involved in one of the many crashes that affected the main group.
Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, a trio launched the decisive attack 25 km from the finish. At that point Mirco Maestri led the chase and, as Kubis (Unibet) won ahead of the other two riders, just a few meters behind Lonardi finished 3rd in the sprint securing 6th place. “It was a really tough day,” said the 28-year-old sprinter, “but we still came away with a decent result. Now it’s time to recover from the bruises and push even harder toward the next goals!”
Sports Director Stefano Zanatta: “The guys did a great job navigating such a tricky course. Unfortunately the breakaway wasn’t given much room, but we’re happy with how Pietrobon tried to extend the gap on the first passage in Rue Surcouf and was one of the last to be caught on the next lap. He fully deserved the combativity prize. A further shoutout to Samuele Zoccarato for supporting Peñalver, and to Davide Bais and Aidan Buttigieg for their invaluable help.”
