CCC Sprandi Polkowice has inaugurated the 2015 season with the Trofeo Santanyí-Ses Salines-Campos, first race of Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca series. Maciej Paterski finished 16th and Grzegorz Stepniak crashed in the final. The European season opener was won by Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling).

"The peloton split into echelons with 40km to go, and me, Jaroslaw Marycz, Grzegorz Stepniak and Stefan Schumacher were able to stay in the leading group. Unfortunately Grzegorz was involved in the crash in the final and we had to sprint without him. In the last kilometer the group stretched out and it was hard to get in the front," Maciej Paterski said.

Grzegorz Stepniak finished the race and aside from some bruises, he came out of the crash with no major injuries.

"Even though the race in Mallorca was not my big goal of the season it was still very stressful," Paterski added. "Every first race of the season is that way, because you don’t know exactly how your body will react in the high pace racing until you actually race.

"I think that my form after the training camp is better than last year, at the same time of the season. I will take part in 3 races in Mallorca so I can get into my best shape early in the season. I want to be strong for the spring events, such as Milan – San Remo."

Soon after the start Alex Kirsch (Cult Energy Pro Cycling) and Damien Garcia (Team Frøy Oslo) broke clear. They established over 10-minute gap but it was not enough to outsmart the peloton, which split into echelons within the final 40km (due to strong wind). The duo was caught 23 kilometers before the finish.  It came down to a bunch sprint which was interrupted by a crash that occurred 3km from the line.

Matteo Pelucchi was the fastest, ahead of Elia Viviani (Team Sky) and José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar).

Despite no top-15 places for the CCC Sprandi Polkowice the team was 4th in the team’s classification. 3 riders – Paterski, Marycz and Schumacher – arrived to the finish with the same time as the winner.

On Friday (30th of January) the “orange team” – Sylwester Szmyd, Davide Rebellin, Branislau Samoilau, Lukasz Owsian, Stefan Schumacher, Marek Rutkiewicz, Adrian Honkisz, Mateusz Taciak – will tackle a more hilly course at the Trofeo Andratx.