Friday, 28th August 2020 - A new exciting racing week awaits our riders. While the Tour de France is taking its first steps in Nice, in Italy, the team will be involved first in two classic races - Trofeo Matteotti and Memorial Marco Pantani - and next week in the tricky Settimana Internazionale Coppi and Bartali.

It starts on Saturday with the “Matteotti” that starts and finishes in Pescara, on the Adriatic coast. The 73rd edition route is the traditional one with a 15km circuit to be repeated 13 times with two challenging climbs, the last of which is only 6km from the finish.

The following day is the turn of the 17th memorial dedicated to the famous Italian champion on the usual route with arrival in Cesenatico, Marco Pantani’s home town. The route takes place almost entirely in the hinterland hills and then ends with a 20km city circuit.

Sports Director Franco Pellizotti comments: “in both races Dylan Teuns will be our leader and road captain. They are two very demanding races that the heat could make even more challenging. It has often happened that both the “Matteotti” and the “Pantani” have decided with 20/30 riders’ breakaway, and therefore, we must be careful to enter the right escape. Along with Dylan, Scott Davies will also be able to play his cards supported by other teammates.”

Team Bahrain McLaren line up for Trofeo Matteotti and Memorial Marco Pantani: Dylan Teuns, Eros Capecchi, Domen Novak, Marcel Sieberg, Scott Davies and Chun-Kai Feng

Next Tuesday, the team will move a few kilometers to Gatteo Mare to be at the start of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi and Bartali, a stage race born in 1984. The 4 days of racing program includes a couple of stages for finisseur and sprinters, a 13.3km Team Time Trial and the decisive stage with the uphill finish of Sogliano al Rubicone at the end of a fairly demanding 3 km climb.

Sports Director Tristan Hoffman said:” Sports Director Tristan Hoffman said: ”It’s a demanding race and it indeed represents a good opportunity for our youngsters. The TTT will be important for the GC as well as the uphill finish stage in which Santiago Buitrago, Scott Davies and Kevin Inkelaar can do well. In the other stages Domen Novak and Fred Wright will be able to show their qualities while Phil Bauhaus will have to resist on the hills to fight for the win in the sprint “

Team Bahrain McLaren line up for Settimana Internazionale Coppi and Bartali: Phil Bauhaus, Santiago Sanchez Buitrago, Scott Davies, Kevin Inkelaar, Domen Novak, Alfred Wright.