Klasika Primavera / Paris-Roubaix

Italian pins a bib number on his jersey again in Amorebieta after three-month recovery from leg fracture in Australia. París-Roubaix marks biggest challenge for Sunday

Just a few hours after closing the 2014 Vuelta al País Vasco in Markina-Xemein, the Movistar Team will try to top off its Basque week boosted by joy from the return of Giovanni Visconti. The Italian rider will line up for the 60th Klasika Primavera in Amorebieta, 84 days after the tibia fracture sustained in an unfortunate crash during the People’s Choice Classic, the criterium prior to the Tour Down Under, which opened the Blues’ season. Chente García Acosta will act as sports director for a powerful ten-man block also including Gadret, José Herrada, Intxausti, Gorka & Ion Izagirre, Moreno, Plaza, Sanz and Valverde, in a race whose length will be identical to previous editions (171km), still lacking any climbs to Autzagane -yet including three passages through the col of Montecalvo- due to road works in the zone.

Minutes after the start of the action in Bizkaia, another eight Movistar Team riders directed by José Luis Jaimerena will take the start in the 112th edition of Paris-Roubaix, with its 51 kilometers of cobblestones over twenty-eight sections across its 257km route, full of dust, stress, furious pace and crashes. The six participants in the Circuit de la Sarthe –Dowsett, Gutiérrez, Jesús Herrada, Lobato, Sütterlin and Ventoso-, where the Blues obtained great results thanks to the TT win by the British rider in Angers, will be joined by Spaniard Imanol Erviti and Colombian Dayer Quintana.