The early part of the Italian season may no longer be as rich as it once was but one big event has survived and is growing. The Trofeo Laigueglia has always been an important early event on the Italian calendar and with an upgraded UCI category, a stellar field and initial plans for TV coverage on Italian television, the 2015 edition seems to be bigger than ever.

 

Being one of cycling’s traditional key countries, Italy once had a very rich calendar of early season races. Due to its reasonable weather conditions at this time of the year, the country offered a number of smaller stage races in February that allowed riders to prepare for later objectives and also included a couple of the many one-day races that have always been a trademark for the country.

 

The tough economic times have taken its toll on the calendar and now only two Italian races are left in the month of February. While the GP Costa degli Etruschi has managed to survive as the traditional season opener, the first really big rendezvous for the best Italian riders comes at the Trofeo Laigueglia which has always been held a little more than a week before the Belgian opening weekend.

 

In Italy, it seems that only the events organized by RCS really seem to thrive while most others have either disappeared or are in a constant battle for survival. However, the Trofeo Laigueglia has clearly bucked the trend. This year they have been upgraded to a 1.HC category race which has allowed the organizers to invite more WorldTour teams and the provisional start list looks really stellar. Furthermore, the race was even initially scheduled to be shown live by Italian TV broadcaster Rai but those plans were eventually abandoned.

 

The race is one of the typical Italian one-day races that include a lot of climbing before a relatively flat finish. This makes it the perfect preparation event for the classics and it is no wonder that the start list is loaded with riders who specialize in one-day races. The race comes in one of the busiest cycling weeks of the year as the Tour of Oman, Volta ao Algarve, Tropical Amissa Bongo and Vuelta a Andalucia are also held this week but many riders have still preferred to do the Italian race that offers an alternative option together with the Tour du Haut Var which is held in the weekend. Those two races give three days of racing in classics terrain, providing riders with the best preparation for the Belgian opening weekend.

 

The course

The Italian one-day racing scene is loaded with races of the same nature. While there aren’t many races for the sprinters or climbers, the calendar is loaded with races for fast riders who can climb. Most of the Italian races include a significant amount of climbing but mostly the finale is flat, giving time for a regrouping to take place. The Trofeo Laigueglia is no different.

 

The course changes a bit from year to year but the city of Laigueglia is always its centre. As usual, the 2015 race will both start and finish in the Italian city on the Ligurian coast and the riders will tackle a 191.8km route that takes them into the hilly hinterland.

 

The first part of the race consists of a flat run along the coast before the riders turn inland to continue along flat roads to the city of Bezzo. After a little less than 30km of racing, the climbing starts when the riders go up a tough climb to the city of Amasco which is followed by short descent before they continue up another climb to the city of Onzo.

 

The riders now descend down to the Pogli river which they will follow for a few kilometres before they take on a circuit that they will cover twice at different points of the race. It includes the tough Cima Paravenna climb and its subsequent descent. Having done one lap of the circuit, the riders follow the river back to the coast where they will roll along the seafront back to Laigueglia.

 

The riders will cross the finish line for the first time after a little less than 100km of racing and now they will tackle a tough 80km circuit with two climbs. First they will go up the small Capo Mele which is known from Milan-Sanremo and then they will tackle the race’s landmark climb, Testico. After the top, they will descend back to the Cima Paravenna circuit that they will do another time to go up the climb again before they follow the same flat route back to Laigueglia.

 

The riders will cross the finish line after 181km of racing. Last year the finale was not very difficult but this year the organizers have decided to include a difficult 10.8km finishing circuit. Right from the start, the riders go up the short steep Colla Micheri climb (2.1km, 7.8%, summit 8.5km from the finish) before they descend to the bottom of the Capo Mele (2km, 3.5%) which they will do for the second time in the race. The summit comes just after the 2km to go banner and from there it is a descent back to the finish with only 200m of flat roads in the end.

 

 

 

 

The favourites

The Trofeo Laigueglia has been won in a number of different ways. The tough climbs at the midpoint of the race usually create a selection and may even be used for the climbers to play their cards. The flatter finale has often allowed a regrouping to take place which has allowed fast riders to win a reduced bunch sprint but very often a few small climbs in the finale have provided attackers with launch pads to launch an offensive.

 

Last year Patrik Sinkewitz, Jose Serpa and Matteo Rabottini escaped on the major challenges and while the Italian was dropped along the way, Serpa and Sinkewitz managed to stay away, with the Colombian winning the sprint. This year’s course is a bit harder as the inclusion of the Colla Micheri means that the riders don’t have to play their cards very early and can save their big attack for that climb. With the Capo Mele coming just moments later, the final circuit barely has any flat sections and this means that it will be easier for a late attack to stay away until the finish.

 

With that extra attacking option, we expect the favourites to save their energy for the finale. After the usual fast start, we can expect a break to get formed before the major teams take control. Some of them want to make this race hard and we can expect teams like BMC, Cannondale-Garmin and Katusha try to set a fast pace on the big climbs to whittle down the peloton. Unlike last year, however, we don’t expect any major attacks at this point of the race as the tough finale give them an option to save their energy for later.

 

The race will probably come down to the Colla Micheri climb which is a very tough affair and comes very close to the finish. We can expect a small group of the best climbers to get clear on that ascent and then we are in for an exciting pursuit between a reduced peloton and the attackers. Due to the short distance and the very little amount of flat roads, the break has a solid chance but it all depends on the level of cooperation. The Capo Mele offers a final chance to make a move from the escape and may be used to get clear if the tactics prevent the group for cooperating well. With this kind of tough finale, the most likely scenario is that a small group will make it to the finish but a sprint from a reduced peloton can definitely not be ruled out. In that case, it will be very interesting to see which riders will make the selection as the location of the tough final climb should make the race too tough for most of the sprinters.

 

The biggest name on the start list is definitely Philippe Gilbert and the Belgian is perfectly suited to this race. In fact, he can win the race both from a small group and from a reduced bunch sprint, giving him several cards to play. He looked very strong in the Dubai Tour where he had to brake a few times in the tough uphill sprint on stage 3 but came very fast when he got up to speed. He was also riding well in Qatar where only a mechanical prevented him from joining the front group on the dramatic second stage.

 

In general, Gilbert seems to be riding better at this time of the year than he has done for a couple of seasons. That is in line with his strong showing at the end of 2014 where he showed signs of a return to his former level. He is building condition for the Belgian opening weekend and will use this race and the Tour du Haut Var to fine-tune his condition. Gilbert never does any race purely for training and this means that he will go all out for the win in Laigueglia. Supported by a strong team that is led by an in-form Brent Bookwalter, he should be able to join the late attacks and then he will be hard to beat in a sprint.

 

Francesco Gavazzi hopes to find back to his former level at Southeast and he got his time with the new team off to the perfect start. In the GP Costa degli Etruschi, he seemed to be the strongest climber and seemed to be at ease when he bridged the gap to Fabian Wegmann, Damiano Cunego and Rodolfo Torres on the final climb. In the end, he played the role of lead-out man for Manuel Belletti as it came down to a sprint but the performance indicated that he is in great condition. Like Gilbert, he can win the race both from a bunch sprint and by joining a late attack and the Belgian will have a hard time beating the in-form Italian.

 

Moreno Moser got his big breakthrough when he won this race in his debut season and after a few disappointing years, he seems to be back at his former level. He rode solidly in the Tour Down Under and was clearly the strongest rider in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race where he crested the summit of the final climb as the first rider. He would love to mark his return to his best with a win in Laigueglia and the rough finale suits him well. Being a very strong climber and an excellent descender, he has all the skills to escape in the finale and he has the speed to win a sprint from a small group.

 

Another in-form Italian is Fabio Felline who will do the race with the Italian national team. The Trek rider showed great condition when he finished third in the Etoile de Besseges time trial and last Saturday he finished fourth in the very tough Vuelta a Murcia despite leading Bauke Mollema out for the sprint. In this race, he is the clear leader of the Italian team and will be allowed to take his chances. Usually, he will have a hard time following the likes of Gilbert and Moser on the final climbs but he seems to be riding better than ever before. Furthermore, he is very fast in a sprint from a break or a small group.

 

Fabian Wegmann has had a few hard years but after joining Cult, he seems to be getting closer to his best. He rode strongly in Mallorca and in Etruschi he was one of the strongest on the final climb. This race suits him down to the ground as he can escape on the final climb and finish it off with his fast sprint.

 

Gavazzi is not the only Southeast card. Simone Ponzi also rode strongly in Etruschi and he is tailor-made for this race. The Italian can both join the late attacks and win from a small group. The main issue in the Southeast team will be to determine who to support in case of a sprint. If Gavazzi isn’t feeling well, Ponzi may get his chance.

 

Damiano Cunego got his season off to a reasonable start in Etruschi as he was one of the strongest riders on the final climb. That was a solid indication that the change to the Nippo-Vini Fantini team has provided him with new motivation. He didn’t look as strong as Wegmann and Gavazzi in the opening race though and even though he is fast, he will have a hard time beating them in a sprint. However, he may benefit from team tactics to escape in the finale.

 

It will be interesting to see how the sprinters handle the challenge. Most of them will have a hard time keeping up with the bunch on such a tough climb so close to the finish but some of them have a chance. Niccolo Bonifazio has been riding really strongly this year and only bad luck prevented him from winning in Etruschi. Davide Vigano is climbing really well and should also be close to the best. The same can be said for Oscar Gatto, Leonardo Duque about Alexey Tsatevich while Manuel Belletti and Davide Appollonio are likely to find the terrain too tough. If they are still there, however, they should be among the fastest. An outsider is Armindo Fonseca but the fast Frenchman is better suited to an uphill sprint.

 

Finally, his Bretagne teammate Jonathan Hivert should have a chance. The Frenchman rode well in the Etoile de Besseges where he finished in the top 10 in the final time trial. He may not be as strong as he was at this time two years ago but his fast sprint and good climbing skills make him a perfect contender for this race.

 

UPDATE: Philippe Gilbert is suffering from gastroenteritis and won't take the start. Simone Ponzi has also fallen ill and won't be at the start either.

 

***** Philippe Gilbert

**** Francesco Gavazzi, Moreno Moser

*** Fabio Felline, Fabian Wegmann, Simone Ponzi

** Damiano Cunego, Niccolo Bonifazio, Davide Vigano, Armindo Fonseca, Oscar Gatto, Jonathan Hivert, Leonardo Duque, Manuel Belletti, Davide Appollonio, Alexey Tsatevich

* Francesco Reda, Mauro Finetto, Thomas Voeckler, Angel Vicioso, Rinaldo Nocentini, Lloyd Mondory, Elia Favilli, Yannick Martinez, Antonio Parrinello, Valerio Conti, Jose Serpa, Jempy Drucker, Simon Spilak, Egor Silin, Ilnur Zakarin, Franco Pellizotti, Daniel Martin