Running at the same time as Langkawi and Sud Ardeche, the GP di Lugano offers the peleton a technical course, that should favour the Sprinters who can over the hills.



Marco Frapporti leads the team in Switzerland, where he will be supported in the race by Simon Yates, Rasmus Quaade and Remy Di Gregorio, hoping for a good finish.

Marco Canola also offers an option in the sprints, whilst Nelson Oliveira and Henri St-Pierre will ride as Domestiques. Dan Fleeman completes the squad and will ride in a free role.


Sponsor Goal: N/A
Team Goal: Top 5
Best Finish: N/A

Dan Fleeman was part of a 8 man break that formed over the early stages of the race. The peleton seemed happy to let them gain a sizeable gap over the main pack, as the weather began to take a turn for the worst.



Androni and Cannondale set themselves up on the front of the peleton, and as the stage wore on, it suddenly dawned on them that they might not be able to pull the lead group back before the finish.



The break would indeed be successfully, as Steve Morabito (BMC) just outsprinted Radoslav Rogina (Adria) for the victory. The peleton caught the tail end of the lead group on the run into the finish, with Marco Frapporti finishing strongly to take 7th.

1	Steve Morabito	BMC Racing Team	4h22'46
2	Radoslav Rogina	Adria Mobil	s.t.
3	Angelo Pagani	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	s.t.
4	Artem Ovechkin	Itera - Katusha	s.t.
5	Robbie Squire	Amore & Vita	s.t.
6	Daniele Ratto	Cannondale Pro Cycling	s.t.
7	Marco Frapporti	Bianchi Factory Team	s.t.
8	Adriano Malori	Cannondale Pro Cycling	s.t.
9	Daniele Pietropolli	Lampre - Merida	s.t.
10	Anthony Roux	AG2R La Mondiale	s.t.

With the big mountain stages out of the way, we had five flat stages between now and the GC victory for Estaban. All we had to do was to get him to finish in one-piece.



Of the remaining stages, the most difficult came on Stage 6. 214km in length, and it comes straight after the Mountainous Stage 5. Legs will be tired, and the Sprinters will be wanting to step into the limelight again.

Stage 6 started in a gentle fashion, and it was clear that the previous day's climb to Genting Heights had taken its toll on some riders. Ben Swift (Sky) would take the win, as Caleb struggled to even finish in the Top 15. Worst still would be Adam and Linus losing over 8 minutes on GC after tiredness threw them out the back of the peleton.



The best chance for a victory was the much shorter Stage 7, but sadly, it would be a day for the breakaway. A group of 6 went up the road, and all but one was caught on the run into the finish - Nicolas Rousseau (Bretagne). The Frenchman took a fantastic win against the odds, as Caleb sprinted to 5th.

Ben Swift took his third victory of the race on Stage 8, and as Tony Gallopin (RadioShack) failed to finish in the Top 15, it was going to be an interesting race for the Points Classification. Not for the first time in Malaysia, Ewan would finish comfortably in the Top 10.



Our Irish Champion Philip Lavery found himself in the break on Stage 9, and with no threat to Chaves in the lead group, it would be a day when the break was going to success again.



Lavery was in prime position coming into the final kilometre, but was unable to match the pace of the other. Rousseau was in some great form in Malaysia, and he would go on to win his second stage, with Lavery crossing the line in third.


Onto Stage 10, and from the word 'GO', it was clearly going to be a Mass Sprint at the end. Adam Yates spent a day in the doomed breakaway, as J.J. Rojas (Movistar) took the victory in the final sprint. Ben Swift would finish second, giving him the Points Jersey on count-back, ahead of Gallopin, who finished importantly in third. Ewan came home in sixth, and Estaban crossed the line safely in the peleton, and the 2014 Winner of the Tour de Langkawi.

1	Esteban Chaves	Bianchi Factory Team	33h41'16
2	Joseph Dombrowski	Sky Procycling	+ 1'44
3	Giovanni Visconti	Movistar Team	+ 2'43
4	Winner Anacona	Lampre - Merida	+ 3'07
5	David Arroyo	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 4'06

Bianchi's final race in February comes in Italy at the GP Camaiore. A Hilly One-Day race will give the Puncheurs a chance to shine.



As with the recent One-Day Classics, Moreno Moser and Marco Frapporti will lead the team in the race. Moreno takes priority, with Marco looking for the win if it ends in a larger bunch sprint.

Davide Villella, Simon Yates and Dan Fleeman will ride in support of Moser, whilst Nelson Oliveira and Marco Canola will support Frapporti on the day.

Matej Mohoric will look to be part of the day's break, as he looks to continue his developement.


Sponsor Goal: N/A
Team Goal: Top 10
Best Finish: 2013 - Davide Villella (10th)

Mohoric found himself part of a 9-man break away, that attacked very early on the stage. As the gap grew rapidly over the flat first-third of the race, as soon as the hilly circuit came into the play, it began to plummet back down.



On the final climb of the day, the break was pulled back, and the favourites began to play their cards. Positioned incorrectly, Moreno initially found himself boxed in, and it looked like the victory had gone right out the window with that.



Further attacks on the descent ruled Moser out of contention, and one final big kick from Diego Ulissi (Cannondale) as enough to give him the win. Sergio Henao (Sky) came home just after, with Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) won the bunch sprint for Third. Moreno did well to finish in 6th, and Mohoric strongly to cross the line in 16th.

1	Diego Ulissi	Cannondale Pro Cycling	4h26'49
2	Sergio Henao	Sky Procycling	s.t.
3	Francesco Gavazzi	Astana ProTeam	s.t.
4	Francesco Bongiorno	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	s.t.
5	Robert Kiserlovski	RadioShack - Leopard	s.t.
6	Moreno Moser	Bianchi Factory Team	s.t.
7	Peter Kennaugh	Sky Procycling	s.t.
8	Egor Silin	Astana ProTeam	s.t.
9	Steve Morabito	BMC Racing Team	s.t.
10	Alessandro De Marchi	Cannondale Pro Cycling	+ 2'17

February saw no WorldTour races on the calendar, however, that doesn't mean that there was any exciting racing going on around the world. Mark Cavendish (OmegaPharma) took home the glory in the Tour of Qatar, picking up FOUR victories in the process.

The big stars raced in the Tour Mediterreneen, where Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin) took the Overall win, ahead of Joaquim Rodriquez (Katusha) and Igor Anton (BBVA). Hesjedal would also take honours in Ruta del Sol, whilst Rui Costa (Belkin) won in Volta ao Algarve.

The month ended with the Belgian Semi-Classics, where Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Tom Boonen (OmegaPharma) took the victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne respectively.

Individual	Team
1. E. Gasparotto	1. Lotto Belisol
2. A. Griepel	2. Astana ProTeam
3. T. v Garderen	3. BMC Racing Team

Individual	team	Team
1. E. Chaves		1. Bianchi Factory Team
2. M. Moser		2. Orica-GreenEdge
3. A. Vichot		3. Vacansoleil-DCM

Individual	Team
1. M. Cavendish	1. Garmin-Sharp
2. A. Greipel	2. Movistar
3. R. Hesjedal	3. Sky ProCycling

It has been revealed today that Bianchi Factory Team could be in talks with a 'Big Name', with the view of them becoming part of the fast-growing Italian team.

Originally formed as Rapha-Bianchi, questions were raised at the end of last season when British Clothing Manufacturers Rapha pulled out of team, and Italian Bicycle Makers come out and backed the team as lead sponsor, but it looks like financial assistance could be just around the corner.

Team Manager Phil Hoyle was able to confirm that talks are in place with a possible co-sponsor and second major backer for the team, however talks are only in a primary stage.

More information is expected to follow later this March, after the Milano-San Remo Spring Classic.