Calzoni crowned King of the Mountains at Tour De Pologne
Walter Calzoni claims the King of the Mountains classification as Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team completes an aggressive and consistent week of racing at the UCI WorldTour Tour de Pologne.
Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team wrapped up a strong week at the Tour de Pologne with Walter Calzoni securing the final King of the Mountains classification, providing a tangible reward for a race defined by aggressive riding, consistency and opportunities taken across different terrains.
The seven-stage UCI WorldTour race, running from the Baltic coast to the mountains of southern Poland before concluding with a 12.4-kilometre individual time trial in Wieliczka, offered the Team opportunities from the opening day through to the final kilometres against a world-class field.
The Team made its intentions clear from Stage 1. Matteo Moschetti sprinted to eighth place in Koszalin, while home rider Kamil Małecki collected valuable bonus seconds during the day to move into second place overall, just two seconds behind race leader Jonathan Milan.
As the race moved south and the terrain became increasingly selective, the focus shifted towards an aggressive approach in the mountains.
Calzoni emerged as one of the Team's key protagonists. The 24-year-old Italian went on the attack during the decisive part of the race, initially targeting a stage opportunity while collecting valuable points across the classified climbs. His commitment ultimately delivered the PZU King of the Mountains jersey, which he successfully carried all the way to Wieliczka.
For Calzoni, the result also provided an encouraging indication of his condition ahead of his next major objective: La Vuelta a España.
"I came here mainly to understand where my condition was ahead of La Vuelta and the Italian races later in the season. I felt good on the first hard stage, although I lost some time, so I decided to go on the attack and try to fight for a stage. The peloton didn't give us enough space to make it to the finish, but along the way I was able to take the points for the mountains classification and eventually win the jersey. It's a really nice result and, more importantly, it confirms that the legs are good. That gives me confidence because now the focus is fully on La Vuelta"
Walter Calzoni
The Team remained competitive until the very end. In Sunday's final 12.4-kilometre individual time trial in Wieliczka, Sjoerd Bax delivered another strong performance to finish 10th on the stage, while Mark Donovan completed the week 14th in the final General Classification.
Although a stage victory ultimately remained just out of reach, the Tour de Pologne underlined the depth and versatility of the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: competitive in the sprints, active in the breakaways, present in the mountains and inside the top ten in the final race against the clock.
Seven days of racing. Seven days of looking for opportunities.
And one King of the Mountains jersey to bring home.
#RaceSharp
