The UAE Team Emirates will start the Volta a Catalunya (March 25 to 31) with a strong team including former winner Dan Martin and 2015 Vuelta a España winner Fabio Aru.
Dan Martin already counts one Volta a Catalunya overall win (2013) and two stage wins (2013 and 2016) on his palmarès. He has had a solid start to the season having finished fourth overall at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.1) and seventh at the UAE Tour (2.UWT) and the Irishman feels confident going into the race.
“Volta a Catalunya is always a race I look forward, even more so this year with my family being roadside for number of the stages,” Martin said. “I know the course well since I live in the region and racing Volta a Catalunya nearly every year of my career I know the roads well.
“So far this season has been consistent so hopefully we can continue to race well as a team, but Catalunya is a wide open race this year. Every day will be important and a very strong field of top riders means it will a good, tactical race: I feel good, so we shall see what happens.”
Fabio Aru has had a more difficult start to the season, having abandoned Paris-Nice (2.UWT) on stage three.
“A few days after I abandoned Paris-Nice, I began to feel better,” said Aru. “The Volta a Cataluyna is a race that’s very hard, I’ll see in the first stages how I’m feeling and what goals I can reach. I have a desire to do well, so I’m taking on this race with a positive mindset.”
UAE Team Emirates for Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (2.UWT):
Fabio Aru (Ita)
Daniel Martin (Irl)
Cristian Muñoz (Col)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Simone Petilli (Ita)
Edward Ravasi (Ita)
Rory Sutherland (Aus)
