A very different temperature from Donoratico welcomed Colombia Coldeportes  in Southern Italy for the first of two days of racing at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria. A cloudy sky covered the sun at the start of the 170 km 1^st stage from Melito Porto Salvo to Chiaravalle Centale, but 14° made it easier for the riders to warm up their muscles and bring to life a quite entertaining race.

The finale was a Liquigas’ monologue, ended with another sprint win for Italian Elia Viviani, who saw over Daniele Colli (Team Type 1) and Elia Favilli (Farnese Vini). Team’s sprinter Juan Pablo Forero was led by Carlos Quintero in the final kilometres, but couldn’t find a good position to contest the final rush.

Team’s veteran and road captain Victor Hugo Pena was a big protagonist at the early stage of the race, getting into one of the first breakaway attempts and gaining over two minutes on the pack along with Ratti (Team Idea) and Bazzana (Team Type 1). The peloton, guided by Liquigas for most of the day, managed to reel the trio after the first intermediate sprint, before giving way to another 5-man attempt.

With 50 km to go, with the frontrunners still holding a two-minute lead, Robinson Chalapud tried his way with Elia Favilli (Farnese) to get back on the leading group. After several kilometres outside the bunch, the very high pace denied Robinson and his breakaway companion before reaching the leaders – but “Chala” showed condition and determination in his difficult attempt.

 “Our plan was to cover early breakaway attempts and to try working our way into the final sprint – may it be a selected-group one, with Duarte, or a mass one, with Forero” – DS Valerio Tebaldi explained. “We are back to the hotel without a result, but I think we should be satisfied with our race. The riders are showing good adaptation to European racing (all of riders finished in the 60-unit main group except for Peña, forced back by a mechanical issue), and I see their condition growing. Good feelings.”

“Both Victor and ‘Chala’ were pretty brilliant in their breakaway effort, and I hope we can perform well in tomorrow’s 2^nd stage (Lamezia Terme-Reggio Calabria, 192 km): the Sant’Elia will be the only major climb of the race, so I expect a good showing on it from my guys. It is probably too far from the line (around 50 km) to prove decisive, but it could easily reduce the pack’s size ahead of the finale,” Tebaldi stated.

Photo: Victor Hugo Peña on the breakaway

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