CCC Sprandi Polkowice will kick off its Italian one-day race campaign with Coppa Agostoni – Giro delle Brianze (16.09) and Coppa Bernocchi (17.09).

Coppa Agostoni is held near Milano, with start in Monza and finish in Lissone. It’s 198 kilometers long and it features one big initial lap, after which the riders will enter a 24,5-kilometer hilly lap. It will be tackled four times. The final 40 kilometers are going slightly downhill and the race will be wrapped up with two 10-kilometer circuits in Lissone.

Last year the winner was found after a bunch sprint, but in previous seasons a 20-man group or small breakaway has arrived at the line. Every race scenario is possible.

The riders in orange have a good record in Coppa Agostoni. In 2014 Grega Bole (who won’t start this year) was 2nd and Maciej Paterski took 13th. In 2013 Davide Rebellin was 4th.

The course of Coppa Bernocci is quite similar. There are seven, 16.7-kilometer undulating laps in the middle of the race and a 30-kilometer flat finale. Despite not a typical sprinters’ terrain, in the previous years the race was won by fast riders who do well in mass sprint. CCC Sprandi Polkowice has taken part in the last two editions, and Bartłomiej Matysiak was the team’s top finisher, by claiming 16th place in 2013.

Two Italians were selected for the Italian events – Davide Rebellin and Christian Delle Stelle. They will want to showcase their form in front of their home fans. For three Polish riders , Maciej Paterski, Michał Paluta and Jakub Kaczmarek those two races will be a valuable test of form before the world championships.

Coppa Agostoni and Coppa Bernocchi are the first events of the Italian autumn one-day race series.  The orange team will also take part in – among others Memorial Marco Pantani, Il Lombardia and Giro del Emilia, which was won by Davide Rebellin in 2014..

Line-up for Coppa Agostoni – Giro delle Brianze (16.09, 1.1) and Coppa Bernocchi (17.09, 1.1): 

Maciej Paterski, Davide Rebellin, Christian Delle Stelle, Sylwester Szmyd, Branislau Samoilau, Stefan Schumacher, Jakub Kaczmarek, Michał Paluta