Having missed the Vuelta a Espana due to a bad crash, Domenico Pozzovivo will return to competition in less than a week when he lines up for Milan-Turin. Later that week he will join forces with Romain Bardet, Jean-Christophe Peraud, Rinaldo Nocentini and Carlos Betancur as part of a very strong Ag2r team for Il Lombardia.

After his fifth place in the Giro d'Italia, Domenico Pozzovivo had made the Vuelta a Espana his big goal but a bad crash in early August took him out of the race. However, the Italian has had an amazing recovery and he will be able to return to competition before the end of the season.

On Thursday, he will be at the start of Milan-Turin which ends at the top of a very hard climb. At 100%, Pozzovivo would have been a potential winner but now he is likely to support fellow climbers Carlos Betancur, Alexis Vuillermoz, Rinaldo Nocentini, Hubert Dupont and Mikael Cherel. Matteo Montaguti and Guillaume Bonnafond complete the roster.

Next Sunday, Pozzovivo will be back in action for the final monument of the season when he lines up as part of an even stronger team for Il Lombardia. Bonnafond and Dupont will be replaced by Romain Bardet and Jean-Christophe Peraud who are likely to be protected in a race in which Bardet has shone in the past.

Ag2r-La Mondiale rosters

Milano-Torino
·         Carlos BETANCUR (Colombia)
·         Guillaume BONNAFOND (France)
·         Mikael CHEREL (France)
·         Hubert DUPONT (France)
·         Matteo MONTAGUTI (Italy)
·         Rinaldo NOCENTINI (Italy)
·         Domenico POZZOVIVO (Italy)
·         Alexis VUILLERMOZ (France)
 
Giro di Lombardia
·         Carlos BETANCUR (Colombia)
·         Romain BARDET (France)
·         Mikael CHEREL (France)
·         Matteo MONTAGUTI (Italy)
·         Rinaldo NOCENTINI (Italy)
·         Jean-Christophe PERAUD (France)
·         Domenico POZZOVIVO (Italy)
·         Alexis VUILLERMOZ (France)