Team Novo Nordisk head to the backend of the season with return to Circuito de Getxo
30 July 2021
A year on from the 2020 season restart at Circuito de Getxo after the enforced suspension of racing due to Covid-19, Team Novo Nordisk return to the Spanish one-day semi-classic on Sunday for another kind of restart after nearly a month’s break from racing through July.
Spanish climber David Lozano leads the team looking to pick up where teammate Charles Planet left off in 2020 after the Frenchman’s strong seventh place.
“It’s a really hard race, but I love racing there,” began Lozano. “Racing in Spain is always special for me and I’ve had a really good few weeks of preparation throughout July and I feel ready to get the second part of the season underway.”
Lozano will be joined by Italian’s Andrea Peron and Umberto Poli and newly crowned Finnish champion Joonas Henttala.
“We have a strong team ready to race at Circuito de Getxo on Sunday and we are looking forward to the scene of one of our best results from last season,” said General Manager Vassili Davidenko. “It’s important for us to try and pick up where we left off at the Sibiu Tour at the beginning of July in order for us to start the second half of the season in a positive way.”
“As always with the hilly Spanish one-day races, it’s going to be very tough and usually only a select group of favourites goes all the way, but we will try our best to keep David in the thick of the action and positioned well until the business end of the race. We are heading to Spain off the back of a very positive team get together in Normandy that we managed to align with our Talent ID camp where we work with young athletes affected by diabetes, so the mood is good, and spirits are high.”
Young Australian Declan Irvine will be looking to continue his impressive 2021 season with another consistent display and the line-up is completed by the experienced Manxman Sam Brand and 23-year-old Australian climber Sam Munday.
“The circuits are very challenging,” continued Lozano. “Especially the last one up Pike Bidea, which is so tough after over 180Km in the legs. But it’s going to be nice this year, another different start in Bilbao before we hit the circuits and I’m looking forward to it!”
2021 marks the 76th edition of the race and the riders will enjoy a spectacular start as the race departs from the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilabo before heading to Getxo to follow the traditional, undulating 196 kilometer route of six challenging circuits.
The circuits include repeated ascents of the Alto de Quirón and the final lap again features the make or break climb of Pike Bidea before the finish with gradients reaching up to 20%.
Team Novo Nordisk at Circuito de Getxo, Sunday 1st August:
Sam Brand (GBR, 30)
Joonas Henttala (FIN, 29)
Declan Irvine (AUS, 22)
Sam Munday (AUS, 23)
David Lozano (ESP, 32)
Andrea Peron (IT, 32)
Umberto Poli (IT, 24)