Quadruple title holder of the online event of the European Championships, Italy revealed on Monday its selection which will participate in the Elites race this Sunday in Munich (Germany). On a course suitable for sprinters, the Squadra Azzurra will not be represented by Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious). The reigning European champion suffered a respiratory arrest during the last Tour of Catalonia. Neither by Elia Viviani (INEOS Grenadiers). “In the Tour of Poland he failed to achieve good results, leaving room for another bruise, explains the coach Daniele Bennati. Elia didn’t want to take responsibility as a leader.”
Video – Sonny Colbrelli will not defend his title on Sunday in Munich
The surprise Jonathan Milano ?
Without its two sprinters, Italy aligns the European champions of 2018 and 2020: Matteo Trentino (UAE Team Emirates) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel Premier-Tech). Jonathan Milano (Bahrain Victorious) will make his first appearance in the azzurro jersey among the professionals. The 21-year-old runner is coming off a good Tour of Poland where he landed two Top 3s.”My selection was based on a series of parameters: characteristics, results obtained during the year and previous races such as the Tour de France, the Tour of Poland and the Tour of Burgos“, developed Daniele Bennati.
Other sprinters like Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) and Luca Mozzato (B&B Hotels KTM) are also present. But with this range of fast men, the coach does not consider his team as the scarecrow of these European Championships. “It is a transition championship which aims to prepare us for the Paris Olympics in 2024. We are not the favorite team.” The particularity of this selection is that Filippo Gana (INEOS Grenadiers) will compete in the road race… but not the time trial, even though he has never won the continental title (2nd last year behind the Swiss Stefan Kung). Mattia Cattaneo (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) and Matteo Sobrero (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) will be the two Italian representatives on the clock.
Italy selections for the European Road Championships (August 14-21)
Men’s road race (August 14): Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious), Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel Premier-Tech), Luca Mozzato (B&B Hotels KTM), Jacopo Guarnieri (Groupama FDJ), Filippo Baroncini (Trek Segafredo)
Women’s road race (August 21) : Elisa Balsamo (Trek Segafredo), Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ), Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling), Barbara Guarischi (Movistar), Elena Cecchini (SD Worx), Ilaria Sanguineti (Valcar), Arianna Fidanza (Team BikeExchange-Jayco).
Men’s Time Trial (August 17): Mattia Cattaneo (Quick-Step Alpha-Vinyl), Matteo Sobrero (Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Time Trial Women (August 17): Arianna Fidanza (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Alessia Vigilia (Valcar)
— FCI (@Federciclismo) August 8, 2022
Europe – Ganna aligned with the road race… but not with the clock