Podiums in Italy, Snowstorms in France for Team Type 1

Team Type 1-Sanofi mastered the elements of February this weekend, mounting a rainy Italian podium and rising to the Top-10 of a snow-shortened stage race in the southern mountains of France.

At the GP Provincia Reggio Calabria on Sunday, Team Type 1-Sanofi rider Daniele Colli sprinted to his second consecutive podium appearance in a sprint finish, rolling successfully to the line on a rainy day in Italy.

Colli, from Milano, said it was a pleasure to race in relatively warm weather, in spite of the rains that marred the first two hours of Sunday’s 191km stage from Lamezia Terme to Reggio di Calabria.

“It’s snowing at my home in northern Italy this weekend, and everywhere else in Europe it has been freezing and windy,” Colli said.

On the strength of his two second-place finishes this weekend, Colli was 2nd overall in General Classification behind Elian Viviani, also from Italy.

“Sunday was harder, because there was a climb near the end, and only 50 riders made it into the selection. I’m very happy with 2nd, because on a flat sprint I was second behind him, and he is the best in the world right now. For me this weekend was the same as a victory, and seeing the team work well together makes me confident for the next races in the season,” Colli said.

Team Type 1-Sanofi rider Vegard Laengen snuck into a day-long breakaway on Sunday, his second such escape in as many days.

In France the conclusion of the four-day Tour Mediterraneen was not without its own achievement for Team Type 1-Sanofi, in spite of three changed stages due to abnormally cold wind and snow.

Team Type 1-Sanofi rider Julien El Fares netted a 7th place finish on the final stage, pacing up the day’s lone hill at the front of the pack amid confusion over the finish line.

El Fares, from France, said the abbreviated final stage was disappointing, but he felt confident in his results.

“We were supposed to do the Mont Faron climb and race 100km on Sunday, but it began snowing at 11 am. Race organizers cancelled the final ascent and pushed the finish line back to the top of an earlier climb. In doing this quickly they showed a very high level of concern for riders’ safety and made the right choice, but they also had no time to move any of the signs on the road that tell us how much distance is left to race,” El Fares said.

Team Type 1-Sanofi General Manager Vassili Davidenko said the squad made the best of a less-than-ideal situation.

“El Fares won this same stage two years ago, and he was ready to do it again on Sunday. After the mountains were also removed from Saturday’s stage because of snow and ice, and more than 90 riders were tied for 8th place on GC, we really had high hopes that Mont Faron would be our chance to attack and demonstrate the depths of our talent. Unfortunately the coldest winter storm in Toulon since 1985 moved in and pushed our plans back a week or so,” Davidenko said.

El Fares and Colli, along with the rest of Team Type 1-Sanofi, will join up in St. Tropez next week to race the two-day Haut Var.

“Julien Antomarchi won a stage here last year and it’s what really brought him to the world’s attention. We are lucky to have signed him to Team Type 1-Sanofi, and we’ll have a very strong squad line up for the first live televised race of the French season next weekend,” Davidenko said.