CCC Sprandi Polkowice will kick off the 2016 season with races held at the Persian Gulf and in Spain.

"The first races of the season are always hard, since you have to switch from training to racing pace," sports director of CCC Sprandi Polkowice, Piotr Wadecki, says. "We need that kind of competition and races against the best teams in the world to get into racing rhythm early in the season. Last year’s program proved that it’s the right path for us. In the beginning of February we participated in Dubai Tour which attracted some of the best riders in the peloton. Later it paid off and we had a very good cycling spring."

The team will start their Asian campaign with the Dubai Tour (February 3-6, 2.HC). This year it will be its third edition and for the second consecutive time CCC Sprandi Polkowice will be taking part. The route consists of four stages – three for the sprinters and one with an uphill finish to Hatta Dam. Two days after that stage race, the orange squad will take on another one – Tour of Qatar (February 8-12, 2.HC). In the previous years the stages would mostly finish with a bunch sprint and the most decisive one in terms of the final general classification was the individual time trial. That may be the case also this season.

Tour of Oman (February 17-22, 2.HC) is the most demanding terrain-wise among those three events although sprinters will have their chances as well. The most crucial stage is usually the one which ends with the Jabal al Akhdhar climb (“Green Mountain”, 5,7 km, 10% avg). This is where Robert Gesinki, Christopher Froome and Rafael Valls claimed both stage and overall victory.

"The races held at the Persian Gulf are mostly flat and wind is often a big factor. It will be a great opportunity for us to work on riders’ power, speed and dynamic. Races in Spain are more hilly and this is where our climbers should polish their form," Piotr Wadecki added.

CCC Sprandi Polkowice will start the European season at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.1, February 3-7). The Spanish stage race is returning to the UCI calendar after 8 years of hiatus. The organizers – former professional cyclists Ángel and Rafael Casero - plan to include mountain and hilly stages, a 15-kilometer time trial and a sprinters’ stage in Valencia which will wrap up the 5-day competition.

CCC Sprandi Polkowice will continue its Spanish campaign with two one-day races - Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia (13th of February, 1.1) and Clasica de Almeria (14th of February, 1.1). For the riders in orange, it will be their fifth and fourth consecutive participation in those events respectively. They have performed very well in the previous years, taking top 10 places on multiple occasions. In the race held around Murcia which favors good climbers, Davide Rebellin and Maciej Paterski have both finished in the top 10 (Rebellin was third in 2014). In Almeria where fast riders are usually in the spotlight, Bartłomiej Matysiak has taken 7th place twice.

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol (February 17-22, 2.1) has also been on the team’s program a few times already. Every year it draws the best climbers of the professional peloton. In 2015 Sylwester Szmyd delivred great performance by taking 4th on the toughest stage with an uphill finish to Alto de Allanadas. He was defeated only by Tour de France winners Froome and Alberto Contador and an exceptional climber, Mikel Nieve.

As per tradition, the team will prepare for the season in Calpe. The training camp will be held between the 4th and the 20th of January. After the camp, the official presentation of the team will take place in Polkowice.

Initially, the team planned to start the 2016 season with races in Australia but eventually the team’s management decided to cut the travelling and changed the program.

First races of the 2016 season for CCC Sprandi Polkowice

Part I of the team

Dubai Tour – February 3-6, 2.HC

Tour of Qatar – February 8-12, 2.HC

Tour of Oman – February 17-22, 2.HC

Part II of the team

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana - February 3-7, 2.1

Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia - February 13, 1.1

Clasica de Almeria – February 14, 1.1

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol - February 17-22, 2.1