CCC Sprandi Polkowice win Coppi e Bartali TTT

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CCC Sprandi Polkowice took the victory Thursday during the second stage of the opening day at Coppi e Bartali, winning the team time trial by one second over Team Sky and four seconds over MTN-Qhubeka. The win boosted the Polish team's Davide Rebellin into the overall race lead, with his three Polish teammates right behind. Ben Swift (Sky) is fifth overall.

The 13.3 kilometer team time trial pits two 4-man squads from each team against each other, making it a race of both power and strategy. The CCC team with Rebellin with Adrian Kurek, Jarosław Marycz, Tomasz Kiendyś, topped Sky's squad with Phil Deignan, Ben Swift, Kanstantsin Siutsou and Ian Boswell by a single second.

"The entire team was very strong in the TTT," Rebellin said. "We set up very solid and fast pace and we found the right rhythm. Now we have the leader's jersey and we will do everything we can to maintain it all the way to Pavullo. The hardest stages will be held tomorrow and on Sunday, but I am in a good shape and I'm surrounded by a very strong team, which is capable of protecting the GC lead."

Sky's director Dario Cioni will look to the coming stages to exact the team's revenge. “In the afternoon it was a really good stage from the guys. We lost a little in the opening section where it was technical but then once the roads opened out they were really keeping a nice speed," he said. "Obviously it was a little disappointing to lose the race by less than a second to CCC. But we’re in a good position and there are some hard stages to come.”

MTN-Qhubeka's director Alex Sans Vega was proud of his team's effort, despite Steve Cummings, Louis Meintjes, Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Jaco Venter missing out on the win.

"It’s always hard to miss out on a stage win, especially when it’s so close. But we have to stay positive. We kept our good positions in the overall with Steve, Jacques, and Louis, which is very good. CCC Sprandi with Davide Rebellin and Team Sky with Kanstantin Siutsou have to control the race and we can look for our chances. Looking at the profile of the upcoming stages I think we’re in a good situation."

Results

General Classification after Stage 1b