Team Novo Nordisk return to Italy and Laigueglia to get 2021 season underway
26 February 2021
Atlanta, GA – Team Novo Nordisk will start their 2021 season in Italy next Wednesday at the historic one-day race, Trofeo Laigueglia on Italy’s Ligurian coast. The world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team return to the race for the first time since 2017.
For many years Laigueglia was one of the traditional openers of the professional cycling calendar and this year the race marks the start of the Italian racing season. The 58th edition follows the classic route over 202 kilometers and the closing circuits, with repeated ascents of the Capo Mele and Colla Micheri will make for an exciting finale.
“We’re very excited to finally get our 2021 season underway, it’s been an unusually long time since we last raced,” said General Manager Vassili Davidenko. “It’s going to be a special year for us and it’s nice that we have the opportunity to start racing in Italy, a country where we have such strong bonds from our staff to our riders and many of our sponsors.”
“It’s been a few years since we last raced at Trofeo Laigueglia and we’re excited to be coming back. Our preparation at our pre-season camp has gone well and we are going into the race with realistic goals and ambitions.”
Frenchman Charles Planet and experienced Spanish climber David Lozano lead a strong squad that includes Italians Andrea Peron and Umberto Poli, both happy to be kicking off the season on home soil.
Lozano achieved the team’s best result at Laigueglia last time around, placing 24th back in 2017 and is looking forward to hitting the rolling Italian coast roads next week.
“I really like this race,” began Lozano. “It’s a great race to start the season and to test the legs on the successive climbs and see how well the winter training has gone.”
“This year is so important to us with it being the 100th anniversary since the discovery of insulin and we really want to make a statement both on and off the bike. The race is a really hard course, up and down all day and the short circuits at the end can take it out of you, but the whole team is ready to go and we can’t wait to hit the road.”
Balance and support will come from Dutchman Brian Kamstra, 29-year-old Isle of Man native Sam Brand and Finland’s Joonas Henttala.
“The team is ready for racing,” concluded Davidenko. “We are familiar with Laigueglia and as is often the case with the old classic races the parcours doesn’t change much. We just need to get into race mode and that only comes with racing.”
Team Novo Nordisk for Trofeo Laigueglia, Wednesday 3rd March:
Sam Brand (GB, 29)
Joonas Henttala (FIN, 29)
David Lozano (ESP, 32)
Brian Kamstra (NED, 27)
Charles Planet (FR, 27)
Andrea Peron (IT, 32)
Umberto Poli (IT, 24)