Trentin to return to racing at Adriatica Ionica Race - News Shorts

Image 1 of 5

Just over two months after he crashed out of Paris-Roubaix, Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) will make his racing return at the inaugural Adriatica Ionica Race this week. Trentin will be riding for the Italian national selection alongside Moreno Moser and Riccardo Minali.

Trentin was diagnosed with a stable compression fracture of his thoracic spine after crashing heavily during Paris-Roubaix in April. It was the second major injury for Trentin after he broke a rib before the start of the season. It was several weeks after his latest crash that Trentin was able to ride his bike again but he says that he is feeling good and is looking forward to getting back into the peloton.

"My shape is not clearly stratospheric, but the sensations are good, even more than I expected," Trentin said on the race website. "I will find out what stage I am preparing for step by step, but the finish Maser [on stage 2] will give important indications. And if there are opportunities, I will not let them escape.

"It has not been an easy vintage so far, even if I do not believe in bad luck. These are things that can happen in cycling. I hope that the Adriatica Ionica Race will mark my restart, the turning point for a positive season finale. I still have some little hope of participating in the Tour de France, depending on my fitness in this race. And anyway, now the focus of my season has moved on the second part."

Italian selection for Adriatica Ionica Race: Matteo Trentin, Moreno Moser, Riccardo Minali, Jalel Duranti, Francesco Lamon, Filippo Taliani and Andrea Toniatti.

Viviani leads Quick-Step Floors at Adriatica Ionica

Elia Viviani will lead a varied and youthful Quick-Step Floors line-up at the Adriatica Ionica Race. Niki Terpstra joins Viviani as the more elder statesmen of the team with the remainder of the team under the age of 25.

The Adriatica Ionica race is Viviani’s second race back after the Giro d'Italia in May, after finishing runner-up at Dwars door het Hageland last week. Viviani is second only to Alejandro Valverde in terms of victories so far this season with 10. Four of those wins came at the Giro, which saw him also finish the race with victory in the points classification.

Alongside Viviani and Terpstra, the team have fellow sprinter Alvaro Hodeg, climber James Knox, Ecuadorian champion Jhonathan Narvaez, Kasper Asgreen and Davide Martinelli. With a mixed squad, the team is hoping to target each of the five stages.

"We are going there with a strong squad, despite being a young one with four neo-pros, a squad motivated to fight for a stage win and enhance our 2018 tally. Adriatica Ionica is a new but beautiful race, which will be decided by the opening team time trial and the brutal mountain stage to Passo Giau, former Cima Coppi at the Giro d'Italia, and we hope to be a protagonist on every stage – especially on the ones finishing in a bunch sprint – from day one," said directeur sportif David Bramati.

Quick-Step Floors for Adriatica Ionica Race: Kasper Asgreen, Alvaro Jose Hodeg, James Knox, Davide Martinelli, Jhonatan Narvaez, Niki Terpstra, Elia Viviani.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert announce Tour de France long-list

Wanty-Groupe Gobert have announced their 12-rider long-list for their second appearance at the Tour de France. Guillaume Martin is the headline act for the Belgian squad following his 2017 performance, which saw the 25-year-old finish 23rd overall.

Along with Martin, five of the 12 riders named are already certain in their selection, leaving just three places available. Also confirmed for the final eight-man squad is Andrea Pasqualon, who recently won two stages of the Tour of Luxembourg before going on to claim the overall classification. Yoann Offredo, Thomas Degand and Marco Minnaard are the last two riders to be sure of their spot. All five were part of the team's 2017 line-up.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert were selected for their first-ever Tour de France last season and impressed with their aggressive approach to the race. They were also just one of seven teams to finish the three weeks with all of their riders.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert long-list for Tour de France: Frederik Backaert, Thomas Degand, Timothy Dupont, Odd Eiking, Guillaume Martin, Xandro Meurisse, Marco Minnaard, Yoann Offredo, Andrea Pasqualon, Dion Smith, Pieter Vanspeybrouck, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck.

Conti to lead UAE Team Emirates at Adriatica Ionica

Italian Valerio Conti is set to lead the line for UAE Team Emirates at this week’s Adriatica Ionica Race. Darwin Atapuma will provide support for the 25-year-old, along with Edward Ravisi and Simone Petilli.

Meanwhile, Ben Swift and Simone Consonni, who won the opening stage of the Tour de Slovenie, gives the team options in the sprint. Manuele Mori completes the seven-man line-up.

Conti comes into the five-day race after a busy campaign across the Giro d'Italia and the Critérium du Dauphiné and is cautious about how he'll perform.

"I am very motivated; I really want to try to achieve some good results for the team," Conti said in a team press release. "After strenuous efforts in the Giro d'Italia and the Critérium du Dauphiné, I’m trying to prepare a balanced approach to the Adriatica Ionica Race, recuperating energy but at the same time maintaining the good form I enjoyed on the roads of Italy and France.

"I'll see how my legs respond after the first stages and then I'll consult with the team to consider whether or not there are circumstances in place to vie for the top spots in the general classification, or if it will be better to concentrate on individual stages."

UAE Team Emirates for Adriatica Ionica: Darwin Atapuma, Simone Consonni, Valerio Conti, Manuele Mori, Simone Petilli, Edward Ravasi, Ben Swift.