Multiple Grand Tour podium finisher Simon Yates will return to racing tomorrow at Coppa Agostoni, as he joins his Team BikeExchange-Jayco team-mates in Italy, for an intense week of one-day racing building up to Il Lombardia.

Yates, who was forced to abandon the Vuelta due to COVID-19, has since recovered and is motivated for results in races that suit his characteristics. With multiple races coming one after the other, the team line-up will switch and change, as the Australian outfit field key players for each and every race. 

For the hiller days, Yates will be the leader, with the likes of climbers Kevin Colleoni, Damien Howson and Lucas Hamilton around him for support. For the flatter potential sprint days, recent La Vuelta stage winner Kaden Groves will lead, with fast-man Dion Smith and powerhouses in Lawson Craddock, Chris Juul-Jensen and local Italian Matteo Sobrero by his side to assist.

Northern Italy will host these end-of-season races, with five races in one week starting tomorrow, Thursday 29th with the classic Coppa Agostoni; a very challenging course with little flat. 

On Saturday, 1st October, the steep climb that leads to San Luca, the sanctuary that dominates Bologna, will decide the winner of the Giro dell’Emilia, before the following day’s Bernocchi Cup, typically a day for the sprinters.

The climbs then return for Tre Valli Varesine and as an appetiser for Il Lombardia (8th October), the Gran Piemonte takes place on October 6th with an arrival of a small bunch sprint likely.

Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Coppa Agostoni
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Tanel Kangert (EST)
Dion Smith (NZL)
Simon Yates (GBR)

Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Giro dell’Emilia
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Davide De Pretto (ITA) *Stagiaire
Tsgabu Grmay (ETH)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Jan Maas (NED)
Simon Yates (GBR)

Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Coppa Bernocchi
Alexander Balmer (SUI)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Kaden Groves (AUS)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Tanel Kangert (EST)
Dion Smith (NZL)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA)

Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Tre Valli Varesine
Kevin Colleoni (ITA)
Davide De Pretto (ITA)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Damien Howson (AUS)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Nick Schultz (AUS)
Simon Yates (GBR)

Team BikeExchange-Jayco for Gran Piemonte
Alexander Balmer (SUI)
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Chris Juul-Jensen (DEN)
Luka Mezgec (SLO)
Kaden Groves (AUS)
Nick Schultz (AUS)
Matteo Sobrero (ITA)

Kevin Colleoni
“I am ready for these final races of the season, home races for me in Italy. I think I have good condition and I’m aiming for a result, especially at the Coppa Agostoni which takes place on the roads where I train very often. In the next two races, Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine, I will work for the team and for our captain Simon Yates”.

Kaden Groves
“I am excited to race again in Italy. We have a strong versatile squad and I’m interested to see how my shape has improved after finishing my first Grand Tour a few weeks ago, La Vuelta. I am feeling good and want to finish the season strong.”

David McPartland – Sport Director
“We head into these races in Italy with really well balanced teams. We have Simon Yates coming back in to the peloton, we have a stagiaire joining us, Davide De Pretto, and in general a really motivated squad ready for this final part of the season. 

It will be a very intense week with five one-day races and motivation will very important at this time of the year. Coppa Agostoni, Giro dell’Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine they are all very selective races while Coppa Bernocchi is more for sprinters and we will have Kaden Groves for that.

We have options for every single race that we are starting, all the way up to Lombardia and so we are really looking forward to finishing off the season on a high with nice results.”

Race Details:
Coppa Agostoni Race Details: 
Thursday, 29th September,  Lissone – Lissone, 193km
Giro dell’Emilia Race Details: 
Saturday, 1st October, Carpi – Bologna, 198km
Coppa Bernocchi  Race Details: 
Monday, 3rd October, San Giorgio su Legnano – Legnano, 190km
Tre Valli Varesine  Race Details: 
Tuesday, 4th October, Busto Arsizio – Varese, 196km
Gran Piemonte  Race Details: 
Thursday, 6th October, Omegna – Beinasco, 198km

Photo: Getty Images