Bahrain Merida gears up for Strade Bianche

Manama, Feb. 28 (BnA): Team Bahrain Merida has geared up for the new edition of Strade Bianche as part of the UCI World Tour circuit. The team lined up Vincenzo Nibali, Manuele Boaro, Giovanni Visconti, Ondrej Cink, Ivan Garcia Cortina, Domen Novak, David Per and Kanstantsin Siutsou. "It’s like doing a long time trial - explains Kanstantsin Siutsou - a Paris-Roubaix in Tuscany. You're always on the limit; It is a race to see who resists more. I like it, the only problem if it rains the gravel roads become dangerous". With start and finish from Siena, will stage a new edition of Strade Bianche, which became from this year part of the UCI World Tour circuit. The 2017 edition will be long 175km; a twisty and undulating course, with no long climbs but with punchy hills, most significantly on the unpaved parts. There are also roughly 62km of gravel roads appearing in 11 sectors. "I am sure to have an excellent team - comments sport director Alberto Volpi - with some of these guys very well suited to difficult and particular route. Our goal is to have more men in the final to stand beside our captain Vincenzo Nibali and put ourselves in conditions to play the most of our chances. " "It 'a race that I really like - says Vincenzo Nibali - seems a Northern Europe classic with many opportunities to attack. It 'a very tough race, but at the same time very charming ".