Nibali First To Recce “A Very Hard� Worlds’ Course

Vincenzo Nibali, fresh winner of Milano-Sanremo last Saturday, has completed two rounds of the Olympia circuit that the riders will face seven times in September, plus ridden twice up the final climb known as "The Hell".

After the recce he said: "The final climb looked like a mountain bike endurance race, so hard. It will be a difficult race to manage, from power distribution to food, from the technical choices to the choice of athletes for a complete national team. After seeing it on paper I was expecting a hard route but riding it is quite another thing. Many other riders will be as surprised as I was today".

Riding with his Italian National Teammates Alessandro De Marchi and Franco Pellizotti, Nibali was followed in the team car by Davide Cassani, Italian National Cycling Team Manager, who said after the recce: “I had already seen the course but today both myself and the boys were impressed. There’s an 8km climb to be repeated seven times, plus a final wall with inclinations that peak at 28%: this says everything about the hardness of the route.”

De Marchi said: "On paper, I think this is one of the most difficult World Championship courses; it was a good idea to come here now - a few months before the race - to see and understand what we’re going to find in September.I think Tirol will host us in the best way because this kind of territory is made for events like this one.I expect a lot of people [to spectate] all the week in this beautiful scenery. It’s going to be a great day."

Pellizotti said: "These World Championships are very difficult.The course is long and tough. To do well here it will be very important to come out of the Vuelta in good condition, both mentally and physically". 

To watch footage from the recce today click here.