The president of RCS Mediagroup present in Albania for the first stage of the pink race: “I saw a people passionate about cycling. And how many young people!”
Durazzo welcomed the race with the departure on the promenade. Tirana with a fascinating arrival, as a North Classic. What the Giro could hope, when he chose an unprecedented nation to kick off the 108 edition. Tirana became the center of cycling for a day and will also be in the next 24 hours, with an interesting chronometer also scenically. Urban Cairo, president and CEO of RCS Mediagroup, arrived from Italy for this first day of the tour in Albania and discovered a new world.
What impression had it had for 24 unpublished hours, unimaginable for Albania?
“The thing that struck me the most were the boys, the girls and kids at the start in Durazzo: there were many young and young people, who came to see the Giro. An incredible enthusiasm, even on arrival in a big city like Tirana”.
How did Albania seem from a social and sporty point of view? Cycling has had growing until the 80s, now fighting to have space.
“I see a very passionate people, close to cycling. They tell me that there are schools dedicated to children here, to educate them to cycling as children. It is a people who want to grow up, who have so much passion and desire to come forward. It is ideal for the tour from here and having so much followed. I saw the stage in the flagship, I always like to do it”.
Stage won by Mads Pedersen, a champion.
“Yes and I can tell you something. In 2018 I took a photo with Nibali before Sanremo, who a few hours later would have won. One of his most iconic victories. Today I took a photo with Pedersen before departure. It means that I bring Fortuna”.
The theme of these days is the internationality of the lap. Is Albania for the Giro or the Giro for Albania more important?
“The tour certainly for Albania is very important and the departure from Durazzo was a very good thing. The race can be a multiplier of tourist presences. Albania is a country that is growing and developing a lot, who lives of this. It has come to have 12 million tourists in a year and has done a very remarkable job: in recent years there has been a considerable increase in presences from abroad and here they welcomed us in an extraordinary way. From 800 million people it means making an extraordinary spot to the country “.
And for Made in Italy, what does the lap mean?
“It is a great opportunity for us and for Albania. Prime Minister Rama has understood how important the tour to open a window in the world: these stages broadcast in the world are a way to attract many people. The tour becomes more and more international: we have been to Israel, then in Hungary, now in Albania, there is great interest in the race”.
What ride will it be in your opinion?
“This is a rich lap, with many different possibilities, from the stopwatch to the stages for sprinters to my favorite stages, the climb taps that will arrive in the last week, before the ending in Rome. We will have Mortirolo, with the windows, mythical mountains, arrive in Bormio and Sestrière. And many quality runners such as Roglic, Ayuso, Carapaz, Bernal and others”.
The race will almost certainly be very different from that of 2024, dominated by a phenomenon from start to finish. Is a tour with Pogacar or one with the open prediction?
“Pogacar is an extraordinary runner, his companies are memorable and sometimes it runs almost alone, against himself. A tour with many champions who can win helps competitiveness, is a very beautiful thing. It will be a very exciting tour”.
A cyclist who excited him more than others?
“In 2018 Chris Froome came to the round, which made that amazing escape alone on the window hill. I really liked Nibali, even if I never saw him win a lap: he won before my arrival. Then he always did well, climbing on the podium with a second and third place. Now let’s see Tiberi, who is a good runner, and we hope in Ciccone”.
And for the future, is there a country from which she would like to leave with the tour?
“The tour in Italy started everywhere, we did some departures from abroad and I must say that it is nice to explore these countries”.
A note on a margin. The president of Federtennis Angelo Binaghi immediately invited the Pope to the International of Italy, knowing that he is a former tennis player. Can we expect to see him in Rome, in the last stage that will start crossing the Vatican Gardens?
“I really hope so, it would be a wonderful thing, we would be happy. We invite him from now.”
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