Italian race organizer RCS has invited German cycling team BORA – ARGON 18 to Tirreno-Adriatico as well as the classics Milan-San Remo and Il Lombardia. Manager Ralph Denk’s team will be racing its Italian dream schedule with a particular focus on the “race of the two seas”.

“I am pleased that RCS has once again completely taken our wishes into consideration. We received wildcards for every race for which we applied. Tirreno-Adriatico is our most important tour in the spring. The race is suited to sprinters and climbers as well as rouleurs and time trial specialists. We will certainly use it to test the core of our possible Tour de France selection,” said Ralph Denk, Team Manager of BORA – ARGON 18.

“Being cycling monuments, Milan-San Remo in the spring and Il Lombardia in the fall are the cornerstones of our classics calendar. It will be only our second start in Milan, and we are therefore particularly keen to make a good impression. We have improved every year in Lombardy, and we want to take it up a notch this time as well,” continues Denk.

Tirreno-Adriatico includes seven stages from Lido di Camaiore to San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic, from March 11 to 17. After an initial team time trial over 22.7 kilometers, the sprinters will take over. The queen stage on the fifth day, with a mountain finish on the Pian de Valli (1,614 m), will provide a preliminary result for the overall ranking. A subsequent sprint finish and short individual time trial will then round out the race. 

Milan-San Remo and Il Lombardia will take place on March 22 and October 4, respectively.