Bahrain Victorious continues its Italian campaign on Tuesday with the 104th edition of the Tre Valli Varesine, covering 200.3 km from Busto Arsizio to the traditional finish in Varese’s Via Sacco.

This year’s route is identical to that which was planned 12 months ago, when the event was cancelled due to heavy rain. The two key route changes introduced then are confirmed again: the Ronchi climb, famously used during the 2008 World Championships, and the ‘muro delle Cinque Piante’, (Wall of the Five Plants) both adding extra difficulty to the finale.

The start will take place from the Textile Museum in Busto Arsizio, before a 26.1 km opening section featuring a gentle rise towards Carnago and Morazzone. The peloton then make their first ascent of the Ronchi climb and go through the finish for the first time in Varese.

From there, the riders face seven laps of a 15.9 km short circuit, including the Montello climb and the Ronchi ascent, which crests roughly one kilometre before the line. After completing these laps, 62.8 km remain, with the race moving onto a 31.4 km long circuit to be completed twice. This loop features the climbs of Montello, Barasso, Luvinate, and the steep Cinque Piante wall, followed by the Via Matteotti ramp and a rolling section to Casciago, before a fast descent and the final time up the Ronchi leading to the finish.

In total, there are 3,171 metres of elevation gain across seven short laps and two long laps.

The team has a strong history in the race, having achieved top-ten results in all three of its participations, including a podium finish by Vincenzo Nibali in 2017. In our last appearance at Tre Valli Varesine (in 2019), Damiano Caruso finished ninth, and the Sicilian climber returns this year. Caruso is stepping in at the last minute to replace the injured Nicolò Buratti, as Sports Director Roman Kreuziger explains while previewing the race:

“We had a last-minute change as Nicolò Buratti crashed out from Coppa Bernocchi, so we updated our lineup and Damiano Caruso was available and happy to ride.

I think we have a nice roster. Of course, the field is very strong — we expect hard racing, and when Tadej Pogačar is in the race, it’s always in one direction — but I think Lenny Martinez showed he’s on track, and Antonio Tiberi is feeling good. From Afonso Eulálio, I expect a better race than in Emilia. Climbing-wise, I think we’re great.

Robert Stannard, Fred Wright, Damiano Caruso, and Torstein Træen will play support roles. I believe we can achieve a top-five result. We started the Italian campaign with a podium in Emilia and a seventh place today with Fred at Bernocchi, so I hope tomorrow we’ll be in the mix again. It’s a great test for the riders — those who didn’t race today did a recon of the course, so they know what’s coming. Hopefully, we’ll have a good day, better than today.”