Cycling: Team Bahrain-Merida completed its first season in professional cycling in 2017. The new team was able to achieve some notable results. Above all, the Italian connection around Vincenzo Nibali, Sonny Colbrelli and Giovanni Visconti ensured success. In 2018, the results should be even better.
departures
Janez Brajkovic
Ondrej Cink (PMRA)
Tsgabu Grmay (Trek-Segafredo)
Jon Insausti (Fundacion Euskadi)
Javier Moreno (Delko-Marseille Provence KTM)
Additions
Gorka Izagirre (Movistar)
Kristjan Koren (Cannondale-Drapac)
Matej Mohoric (UAE Emirates)
Mark Padun (Colpack)
Hermann Pernsteiner (Amplatz BMC)
Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale)
Team 2018
AGNOLI Valerio
ARASHIRO Yukiya
BOARO Manuele
BOLE Grega
BONIFAZIO Niccolo
BOZIC Borut
COLBRELLI Sonny
FENG Chun Kai
GARCIA CORTINA Ivan
GASPAROTTO Enrico
HAUSSLER Henry
IZAGIRRE Gorka
IZAGIRRE Ion
KOREN Kristijan
MOHORIC Matej
NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas
NIBALI Antonio
NIBALI Vincent
NOVAK Domen
PADUN mark
PELLIZOTTI Franco
BY David
PERNSTEINER Herman
PIBERNIK Luka
POZZOVIVO Domenico
SIUTSOU Constantsin
VISCONTI Giovanni
WANG Meiyin
The Italians ensure good results
The Bahrain-Merida team ended its first professional season in 14th place in the WorldTour rankings. The team that had been bought together celebrated their first win in the person of Ramunas Navardauskas at the end of January. On March 6, Sonny Colbrelli secured the first WorldTour triumph on the long-distance Paris-Nice race. The strong Italian also won the Brabantse Pijl, as well as the Coppa Bernocchi. The 27-year-old has taken the expected next step. His compatriots Giovanni Visconti and Vincenzo Nibali have long since made the leap to world class. The two Italians were brought in as guarantors of success and were able to at least partially meet expectations. Nibali won the Tour of Croatia, the classic Il Lombardia and stages at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana. In the overall standings, he was third at the Giro and even second at the Vuelta. Visconti secured eight podium places, including on stages at the Giro and the Vuelta.
Bahrain-Merida will be stronger in 2018
Even though 2017 wasn't bad at all, the team should be even stronger next season. With the transfers, the team has clearly strengthened. The departures of Janez Brajkovič, Ondřej Cink and Jon Insausti do not weigh particularly heavily due to lack of performance. Tsgabu Grmay and Javier Moreno could more than just be replaced. This is how Gorka Izagirre enriches the team in 2018. This means that the Izagirre brothers are reunited. Experienced climber Domenico Pozzovivo, who could play a decisive role especially for Nibali, will make the Italy connection even stronger. Matej Mohorič has more than hinted at his talent in recent months. He is probably planned as a stage hunter. Helpers Kristjan Koren, Mark Padun and Hermann Pernsteiner complete Bahrain-Merida's good transfer period. Despite the strong transfers, a lot will depend on Vincenzo Nibali in 2018 as well. The Italian will forego the Giro d'Italia and tackle the Tour de France. If all his competitors show up at the Giro first, Nibali has the best chance of his second tour win.
????#BAHRAINMERIDA unveiled new racing kit for 2018📣
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📝https://t.co/SFrO8V1sZP📸 Credits @bettiniphoto pic.twitter.com/9nlMR6Wuaw
- Team Bahrain Merida (@Bahrain_Merida) 14 December 2017