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Iglinskiy for the white roads of Siena, Nibali at Roma Maxima
Astana Pro Team sends a strong squad of riders this weekend to two Italian one-day races, bringing former champion Maxim Iglinskiy to the start of Saturday's Strade Bianche and Vincenzo Nibali for Sunday's brand new Roma Maxima.
Iglinskiy, who won the wildly popular Strade Bianche in 2010 and finished second in last year's running of the race, said he is fit for the finish on Saturday, and knows what to expect.
"It's a classic one-day race that is very hard to ride and even harder to win. All day is up and down in the hills, plus there is dirt and rocks in places where the descent brings so much speed. At the finish you have a steep, steady climb into a very narrow walking path in the old city, and then you have to sprint 300m after the final turn," Iglinskiy said.
"I came to win, but anything can happen. Last year the winner attacked solo 10k from the finish, three years ago it was a small group in the final section of the city. Anything can happen, that's why it is a classic race," Iglinskiy said.
Astana Pro Team riders for Strade Bianche and Roma Maxima:
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Valerio Agnoli - ITA
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Fabio Aru - ITA
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Dmitriy Gruzdev - KAZ
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Maxim Iglinskiy - KAZ
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Tanel Kangert - EST
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Fredrik Kessiakoff - SWE
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Vincenzo Nibali - ITA
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Simone Ponzi - ITA
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Paolo Tiralongo - ITA
Iglinskiy will fly Saturday after Strade Bianche to start Sunday's prologue time trial at Paris-Nice, while Nibali and Paolo Tiralongo will both race Sunday's newly offered RCS-organized Roma Maxima.
"We're very excited about Sunday's race coming as it does, and we have the firepower with Kessiakoff and Ponzi to achieve a good result at Roma Maxima. This race on the whole is not entirely new - it incorporates elements of GP Lazio. But the start and finish on Sunday is at the Coliseum, and that alone makes this a special race in Italian cycling," said Astana Pro Team Director Sportif Alexander Shefer.
Astana Pro Team Staff:
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DS Alexander Shefer - KAZ
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DS Stefano Zanini - ITA
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ADS Maxim Gourov - KAZ
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DR Andrea Andreazzoli - ITA
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ME Roberto Astori - ITA
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ME Gabriele Borselli - ITA
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ME Federico Tosello - ITA
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MA Michele Pallini - ITA
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MA Oscar Saturni - ITA
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MA Sergey Lavrenenko - KAZ
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