Synergy Baku team to continue French races
By Nigar Orujova
Synergy Baku Cycling Project will next tackle the Tour du Loir et Cher E Provost in north central France with a team full of sprinters.
After coming finishing on the podium of the final stage of the recent Circuit des Ardennes, the team will look to improve in this UCI 2.2 race.
Jan Sokol, Christoph Schweizer and Connor McConvey arrive in France from the Mzansi Tour in South Africa, where the team placed third in the opening team time trial and Sokol placed second in the bunch sprint of the third stage. They will join Michael Schweizer, Alex Surutkovych and Pat Lane, who last week rode the Ardennes race.
"This race will be decided in crosswinds," said Sport Director Arvis Piziks, noting that "today we arrived in Blois and it is windy."
"The team's main goal will be to work together as a team in the first stages with crosswind, when the GC will be decided and after that we will protect our highest-ranked GC rider. We have fast guys like Jan, Michael and Chris who will be contenders in sprints for stage wins, too," he said.
The race covers 852 kilometers over five stages. Stage one runs 183.5 kilometers from Blois to Nouan-le-Fuzelier, with one climb along the way. The second stage is 198 kilometers between Montoire and Villebarou, with three climbs.
There are also three climbs in the race's longest stage, stage three, which covers 208 kilometers from Savigny to Braye - Vendom.