The National Team/Liberty Seguros runs, between tomorrow and Saturday, in Tuscany – Land of Cycling, proof by stages of the Under-23 Cup of Nations. The goal is to do better than in the 2011 participation, in which Amaro Antunes won a stage and finished ninth in the general ranking.
Tuscany – Land of Cycling will have a total of 748,9 kilometers, spread over five stages. Mountainous difficulties will mark the route on most connections. The exception is the opening stage, 160,1 kilometers, between Figline Valdarno and Scarperia, which could be an opportunity for sprinters. On the second day, on the trip between Figline Valdarno and Gaiole in Chianti, the peloton will already experience difficulties, as the 130,2 kilometers of the route are in permanent ups and downs.
The last three stages foresee a real ordeal. The third will be 145,6 kilometers long, starting and finishing in Cavriglia, and two mountain prizes in the last 15 kilometers, one of which coincides with the finish. The next day there will be another 146 kilometers to cover, from Terranuova Bracciolini to Cortona, with the arrival coinciding with a mountain count.
The last stage is the longest, 167 kilometers connecting Greve in Chianti to Buonconvento, and the most demanding. In the last 100 kilometers, six sectors of earth will be crossed – or mud, if the weather is still rainy in the region –, totaling 45 thousand meters on this floor. Within the final sector, a mountain count is placed, on the way to the goal.
"It's a very tough race, good for the characteristics of our runners. We will try to do our best, which means fighting for the first places. Last year, Amaro Antunes was in the top ten and won a stage. We are here to do the same or better”, says national coach José Poeira.
The Portuguese team is formed by Amaro Antunes (from Carmim/Prio/Tavira), Fábio Silvestre, Luís Afonso, Pedro Paulinho, Rafael Reis and Ricardo Ferreira.
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