During its training camp, started last Tuesday at the Servigroup Marina Playa Hotel in Mojacar, on the Almeria coast, Polti VisitMalta announced two new sponsors: a technical supplier, namely 226ERS (a Spanish supplement company, which for Basso and Contador's squad "replaces" the Italian Namedsport) and a heat pump and air conditioning systems company from the Dolomites, Clivet, already a partner of the Giro d'Italia and football clubs Torino and Milan. The latter brand has been added to the sides of the title sponsors on the back of the jersey, which was first presented on January 2nd and is now made not by the Valencian company GSport but by the Veneto-based ToFit.

Regarding Valencia, the official start of the Italian ProTeam will take place in the next three days, presenting itself at the starting line with a 24-rider roster (compared to 20 last year, 4 departures and 8 new signings) and 4 sports directors: an unchanged number, but replacing Orlando Maini, who moved to MBH Bank, is Francesco Gavazzi, a former rider of the then Eolo Kometa who two years ago left his role as "captain" to Mirco Maestri. Maestri himself, on Polti VisitMalta's official channels, stated: "It’s great to see my teammates with the right mindset: we’re setting up the work properly and we expect to have a strong season!"

Tomorrow, the Camp de Morvedre: 163.4 kilometers with start and finish in Estivella. Formation: Adrián Benito, Andrea Mifsud and Thomas Pesenti, at their professional debut, together with brothers Mattia and Davide Bais, Fernando Tercero and the experienced Alessandro Tonelli.

Saturday, the Gran Premio Castellón: 171.7 kilometers from Castellon de la Plana to Onda. Formation: D.Bais, the Maltese Mifsud, the Emilian Pesenti, Tercero and Tonelli, joined by Javier Serrano and the symbolic figure (he's been in the Fundación Contador ranks since it was born as a Junior project in 2013) Diego Sevilla.

Sunday, the Clàssica CV – Gran Premi Valencia: 199.5 kilometers from La Nucía to the regional capital. Here it will be up to the sprinters: Giovanni Lonardi, already a winner here in 2022, and the "train" composed of Manuel Peñalver, originally from these areas, the generous Gabriele Raccagni, the new acquisition Dario Igor Belletta, captain Maestri and again Serrano and Sevilla.

PHOTO by Maurizio Borserini