To close out September and usher in autumn, and as the last stage race of the season for Team Polti VisitMalta, here comes the Cro Race. Six days of racing on varied terrain in Croatia with seven riders ready to seize their opportunities throughout the competition.

The team returns to a race where Giovanni Lonardi has made his mark in the sprint finishes in both the 2025 and 2024 editions. This year the Cro Race takes a step forward, moving up in category: from a UCI 2.1 event it now enters the UCI ProSeries calendar.

Gabriele Bessega, Dario Igor Belletta, Dario Giuliano, Mirco Maestri, Fran Muñoz, Thomas Pesenti and Gabriele Raccagni will be the Polti VisitMalta representatives. A group that combines youth and experience, with fast wheels for bunch finishes and various alternatives to try to be protagonists on every terrain that will present itself between tomorrow and Sunday.

The team will be guided by sports directors Stefano Zanatta and Samuel Marangoni: "It's a race we've known for some time now. This year the level has risen, with seven WorldTour teams and the best Professional squads on the start line. We continue to put on good performances, showing solid overall condition and, above all, an excellent attitude. The guys arrive here highly motivated, convinced they can continue the positive trend. Bessega will look to seize his opportunities in the sprint, the trio Maestri-Belletta-Raccagni is ready to attack and get into breakaways, and Giuliano-Pesenti-Muñoz will focus on the general classification. There are no real uphill finishes. The third, fourth and fifth stages will still be quite demanding: we'll need to defend well and stay with the best. On the final stage, in the capital, there should be another chance for the sprinters. We're here to take home some great results!"