Irish Champion Sam Bennett will lead the Deceuninck – Quick-Step at the 101st edition of Milano–Torino on Wednesday.
The Irish rider, a winner of stage 4 of the Vuelta a Burgos in Spain last week, will be suited by the altered course for this year’s race – Italy’s oldest – which will favour sprinters.
Milano–Torino – first held in 1876 – will be a mainly flat 198km course between Mesero and Stupinigi, except for the crossing of Monferrato, where the riders will face a series of short climbs that should not have any major impact on the outcome.
Bennett, with his confidence buoyed by last week’s spectacular win, will be joined on the Deceunick – Quick Step team by his regular lead-out men New Zealander Shane Archbold and Dane Michael Mørkøv, along with Belgian Tim Declercq, American Ian Garrison, Mikkel Honoré from Denmark, and Yves Lampaert of Belgium.
Meanwhile, Ryan Mullen will be part of Trek-Segafredo’s team participating in the five-stage Tour de Pologne, a World Tour race, which also begins on Wednesday.
