After racing at Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca, eight CCC Sprandi Polkowice riders will travel to France to participate in two races – the one-day Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise and the stage race Etoile de Bessèges.

The Polkowice-based team took part in both events also in 2014. The profile of the Marseille race is hilly but the final part of the route goes slightly downhill. In the previous years the winner came from the big group.

"We are still in the preparation mode and racing in France is a part of the preparation process. We are sending an 8-man squad but without pure sprinters. Our fastest riders will stay in Mallorca to take part in the last, flat race of the series - Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma.

"In Marseille we can’t wait until the final kilometers and we will have to try early attacks," Piotr Wadecki, sporting director, said.

Etoile de Bessèges it’s a 5-day event. This year’s course is very similar to the one from last season. It means that the first 4 stages are tailored for sprinters and all-rounders. The final general classification will be decided on the last day after the 12km individual time trial around Alès.

"We will have two good time trialists in the lineup – Mateusz Taciak and Stefan Schumacher. It will be their first race against the clock in this season so it’s hard to predict what are they capable of. Last year Mateusz was 8th in the TT. Davide Rebellin also performed well and set the 16th best time. It helped him finish the race in 11th place overall," Piotr Wadecki added. 

Lineup for Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise and Etoile de Bessèges:
Marek Rutkiewicz, Mateusz Taciak, Davide Rebellin, Nikolay Mihaylov, Tomasz Kiendyś, Stefan Schumacher, Branislau Samoilau, Adrian Honkisz