Top contender and podium finisher at La Vuelta, Rafal Majka, will lead Tinkoff-Saxo at Milano-Torino with a steep finale suited for the climbers. The squad in Italy reports that the Pole has successfully recovered from the Grand Tour, while Daniele Bennati will play the leading role as team sprinter at Gran Piemonte.
 
According to Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Bruno Cenghialta, Rafal Majka stands a fair chance of snatching a top result in Thursday’s Milano-Torino.
 
“Milan-Torino is for the climbers and riders that can cope with the hard finale. We face the Superga climb twice - it’s 5 kilometers long with 9.1 percent in average and sections up to 14 percent. For us, it’s a good parcours for the finale and our ambitions, as we have Rafal Majka as our team leader. I think he can do a top 3 if he has the day. The majority of the race is on flat roads but during the final 25 kilometers, we will see a big battle between the favorites”, says Bruno Cenghialta and adds:
 
“Majka has recovered well after the Vuelta, he feels that he is mentally recovered as well and I reckon that he can take up the fight against the other big names. Poljanski is our second opportunity but the primary plan is that he will support Majka in the finale together with guys like Hansen, Chris Anker and Kiserlovski. It’s important that we enter the final climb in a good position, as the pace will be very high from the bottom of the climb. The race will also be a good opportunity for Majka to build speed in the legs ahead of Lombardia on Sunday”.
 
For the 185km Milano-Torino, Tinkoff-Saxo lines up Rafal Majka, Pawel Poljanski, Chris Anker Sørensen, Jesper Hansen, Robert Kiserlovski, Jesús Hernández, Bruno Pires and stagiaire Felix Grossschartner.

Tinkoff-Saxo’s squad in Italy resumes racing a day later, Friday, as the leading role is transferred to Daniele Bennati at the tough sprinter’s race of Gran Piemonte.
 
“Piemonte is a very different race from Milano-Torino. It almost always ends in a bunch sprint, where the race is decided between a group of 40-50 riders. There’s a lot of twisting roads but the parcours is mainly flat, so we will try to protect Daniele Bennati and set him up in the final sprint. Bruno Pires is in shape and he will either work for Benna or open up the race, but it all depends on how the action evolves”, comments Bruno Cenghialta.
 
For Gran Piemonte, Tinkoff-Saxo sends Daniele Bennati, Pawel Poljanski, Chris Anker Sørensen, Jesper Hansen, Jesús Hernández, Bruno Pires, Robert Kiserlovski and stagiaire Felix Grossschartner into action.