The 21st Tour of Hellas 2026 (ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas, UCI 2.1) concluded successfully on May 10 local time at Syntagma Square in Athens. Held from May 6 to 10, the race featured 5 challenging stages, covering approximately 700 kilometers with over 12,000 meters of elevation gain. Traversing mountains, hills, coastal roads and urban Athens, it ranks among the most demanding stage races on the European calendar.
MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort (UCI Professional Team) delivered a dominant performance, securing not only the Stage 4 victory but also 3rd place in the team classification and 4th place in the individual general classification — marking the team’s best result in this event.
Season Tempering: From Strade Bianche to Tour of Hellas, MBH Team Builds Toughness
To open the 2026 season, MBH Team launched its campaign with high-intensity racing, debuting at one of the world’s most prestigious Classics — Strade Bianche (Italy). Famous for its white gravel sectors, steep climbs, rough surfaces and unpredictable weather, Strade Bianche pushes riders’ bike control, endurance and equipment reliability to the limit.
At Strade Bianche, the entire MBH squad showed remarkable composure and tactical discipline: riders maintained stable control over long gravel sections, followed key moves on climbs, kept pace on high-speed descents, and withstood intense pressure throughout. This WorldTour-level challenge sharpened the team’s experience on rough terrain, refined teamwork, climbing attacks and long-distance stamina, laying a solid foundation for major races including the Tour of Hellas.
Race Highlights: MBH Team Reaches New Heights
Refined and ready after Strade Bianche, MBH Team hit top form at the Tour of Hellas. Enduring high temperatures, relentless climbs and high-speed racing, the squad faced extreme tests of fitness, tactics and reliability. MBH Team fielded a strong roster:
Lorenzo Masciarelli, Alessandro Verre, Luca Cretti, Cesare Chesini, Filip Gruszczyński, Matteo Ambrosini.
Stage Glory: Masciarelli Wins Stage 4 on Mount Parnitha — First Career Victory
Stage 4 (Atalanti → Mount Parnitha), 180.9 km, was labeled the hardest and most decisive stage of the race. The first-category climb to Mount Parnitha proved decisive:
Early in the stage, Lorenzo Masciarelli joined a 9-rider breakaway to take control.
On the crucial final 10 km climb, he stayed with the leaders and launched a winning solo attack with 3 km remaining.
He crossed the line alone to take the stage victory — his first win at a major professional stage race.
Impressive Overall Results: Team 3rd, Individual 4th — Team’s Best Performance
With consistent racing across all stages, MBH Team achieved remarkable results:
Stage Winner: Lorenzo Masciarelli (Stage 4)
Individual GC: Alessandro Verre finished 4th, just 13 seconds behind the champion
Individual Awards: Lorenzo Masciarelli – 4th in Points, 4th in Mountains Classification
Team GC: MBH Team – 3rd place
All riders finished with no abandonments, showing strong team resilience and discipline. Consistent Performance: Top Results Across Stages, Young Riders Progress Rapidly
Beyond the highlight stage, MBH Team remained competitive throughout:
Stage 1: Masciarelli 9th, Verre 19th, Chesini 21st, Cretti 30th — multiple riders in top 40
Mountain stages: Steady climbing rhythm, smart teamwork to avoid crashes and mechanicals
Hilly & flat stages: Active in breakaways and chases, often positioned at the front of the peloton.
UPVINE Pro Plus: The Ultimate Wheel Behind Professional Success
As the Official Wheel Partner of MBH Team, UPVINE provided full professional racing support and deployed the all-new UPVINE Pro Plus Series wheels for real-world race testing, serving as the solid backbone for the team’s victories and breakthroughs. From the brutal vibrations of Strade Bianche’s gravel roads to the scorching climbs, steep sprints and fast descents of the Tour of Hellas, UPVINE Pro Plus delivered unwavering performance in two top-tier events. Across steep sprints, high-speed descents and 700 km of intense racing at the 2026 Tour of Hellas, the UPVINE Pro Plus — equipped with PBOcarbon hybrid spokes and vectormatched spoke interfaces— delivered prolevel performance:
Lightweight & Efficient, Lighter Climbing Ultra-light aerodynamic carbon structure reduces rotational inertia for effortless breakaways on steep climbs.
Aerodynamically Optimized, Stable Descents Significantly improved crosswind stability, perfectly adapted to Greece’s variable terrain for confident high-speed control.
Durable & Reliable, Race&Ready Heavy&duty design optimized for rough roads, long climbs and high temperatures; zero mechanical issues for total reliability.
Professionally tuned using data from Pro teams, the wheels balance breakaway, climbing, sprinting and long-distance endurance. From powering a young rider’s first career win to supporting the team’s 3rd place overall, UPVINE Pro Plus has proven: the best wheels are tested and proven on the toughest courses.
Post-Race Outlook: Riding on Wings, Competing Worldwide
The Tour of Hellas has come to a successful close. With one stage win, team 3rd place and individual 4th place, MBH Team has made a strong start to the 2026 season. From the brutal test of Strade Bianche to glory on the Greek mountains, the team keeps pushing limits and growing stronger. Building on this success, it will continue competing in UCI events across Europe and Asia.
UPVINE will keep using professional racing as its testing ground, iterating high-end models like Pro Plus with real race data. Bringing pro-level wheel technology to riders worldwide, UPVINE empowers every cyclist to push limits and chase glory.
