Vincenzo Nibali keeps Giro d'Italia as main goal, Bauke Mollema and Richie Porte to captain roster at Tour de France
May 20 2020 10:18 pm CET
Trek-Segafredo
Trek-Segafredo's General Classification contenders Vincenzo Nibali, Bauke Mollema and Richie Porte have decided to keep their original goals in grand tours for the new 2020 calendar.
The winner of all three grand tours Nibali will have the Giro d'Italia as his main goal, and he will attempt to win the race for the third time. The rider will be supported by his fellow-countryman and winner of the 2019 King of the Mountains jersey in the Italian grand tour, Giulio Ciccone.
"This new calendar in perspective brings a wave of positivity and optimism in a very complicated season," said the Italian. "What awaits us, with a schedule full of events compacted in just three months, is extraordinary, and we must do our utmost to be ready. Personally, I’ll focus on an exclusively Italian calendar, with the Giro still at the centre of my goals, which makes me happy and proud. I’m also waiting for updates on the Worlds. With the team we have defined a measured preparation to be competitive already in the first events in August."
"There are many unknown variables, both in terms of preparation and in the races. Climbing the high mountains of the Giro in Autumn or riding the 300 km of Milano-Sanremo in August, for example, it’s something unprecedented. But I like new challenges and the desire to pin on a number is great. From the first altitude training camp in July I have four months of full immersion ahead of me. I am motivated and, above all, I’m optimistic that I can go back to doing what we, riders and fans, like: racing."
Mollema will share the leadership of the team with Porte in the Tour de France and one month later he will target stage wins at the Vuelta a España. "My?goals for the rest of the season are still more or less the same," said the Dutchman. "After this break, I am really looking forward to racing again. Until now, it was more about staying fit but with the new calendar, we can really start working towards our goals. It will be a busy few months, but I really hope we can give the fans a lot to cheer for again."
Porte just started training outside after a two-month lockdown that he lived in his country of residence, Monaco, and he's looking forward to start preparing for his season's targets
"The Tour de France remains my main goal for the season, and it starts with the added bonus of riding on my local roads in Nice," he mentioned. "However, it’s definitely going to be uncharted territory racing the Tour in September. I’m not sure how different it will be, though I don’t expect it to be as hot as normal and the weather might be a bit more fickle in the mountains.
"It was a great start to the season for me personally, but since then it’s been such a strange period with no racing and not even being able to get out on the bike. The fact that we’re going to have some races at the end of the year is good for the sport. The team has been very good at this time, very transparent in keeping us informed about what’s happening behind the scenes.?It’s finally going to be nice to put some kilometres in on the road and get the season restarted."
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