Giro d’Italia Under 23: departure from Gradara on 11 June, arrival in Pinerolo after 7 stages

The 45th Giro d’Italia Giovani Under 23 was presented today at the “Ebe Stignani” theater in Imola, the sixth of the Cassani era that has brought it back to life since 2017. The most prestigious and sought-after stage race in the world for Under 23 will take place from Saturday 11 to Saturday 18 June: starting from Gradara (Pesaro-Urbino) and ending in Pinerolo (Cuneo), the city made famous by Fausto Coppi’s Cuneo-Pinerolo. at the 1949 Giro d’Italia. There will be 7 stages that will touch 6 Regions: Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Trentino, Lombardy and Piedmont.

The teams At the start 176 athletes representing 35 teams, coming from 14 countries: there will be 17 foreign teams, 18 Italian teams (including an interregional “mixed” one), selected by the organizers. The Giro U23 is organized by the working group called ExtraGiro, born from the collaboration between Nuova Ciclistica Placci 2013, chaired by Marco Selleri, and Marco Pavarini’s Communication Clinic. The start will be given from the Castle of Gradara, where the forbidden love between Paolo and Francesca was born, made immortal by Dante in the V Canto of Hell. The level and the value of the race are testified by the last five winners, today all excellent professionals: Pavel Sivakov, Aleksandr Vlasov, Andrés Camilo Ardila, Thomas Pidcock and Juan Ayuso.

The detail The race will have two important moments. The third stage (Pinzolo-Santa Caterina Valfurva) will see the riders tackle the Passo del Tonale, Aprica, Passo di Guspessa and Mortirolo downhill towards Grosio. The Guspessa pass is one of the least known in the area, it connects the upper Valcamonica and the Valtellina, yet it has been for centuries the most convenient way to connect Venice with Chur (the Grisons) and with the basin of Lake Constance. The penultimate stage, Boves-Colle di Fauniera, was decisive for the general classification, finishing at 2480 meters: a climb from the professional Giro d’Italia. The Fauniera was discovered in 1999 by the Giro pro ‘, that of Marco Pantani, who in this stage snatched the pink jersey from Jalabert. The descent (not addressed by the Under 23s) then saw one of the best performances by Paolo Savoldelli. Colle Fauniera is an endless climb of 21 km at 7.9% average gradient, described as one of the most beautiful in the world, and represents the end point of the Grana Valley. At the top there is a monument that remembers the Pirate. Each year it is tackled in the two courses of La Fausto Coppi, one of the oldest and most demanding granfondo on the national calendar.

The stages

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Saturday 11 June, 1st stage: Gradara (Pesaro-Urbino) -Argenta (Fe), 163.8 km
Sunday 12 June, 2nd stage: Rossano Veneto (Vi) -Pinzolo (Tn), 168 km
Monday 13 June, 3rd stage: Pinzolo (Tn) -Santa Caterina Valfurva (So), 177.1 km
Tuesday 14 June, 4th stage: Chiuro (So) -Chiavenna (SO), 101.1 km
Wednesday 15 June: rest
Thursday 16 June, 5th stage: Busca (Cn) -Peveragno (Cn), 146.6 km
Friday 17 June, 6th stage: Boves (Cn) – Colle Fauniera (Cn), 110.7 km
Saturday 18 June, 7th stage: Cuneo (Cn) -Pinerolo (To), 142 km

The sweaters

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Maglia Rosa: leader of the general classification
Blue Jersey: leader of the Mountain Grand Prix classification
Maglia Bianca: leader of the youth ranking
ExtraGiro jersey: best Italian in the time table

History Over the course of its 44 editions, starting in 1970, the Giro d’Italia Under 23 has launched some of the greatest professionals of recent decades: from Moser to Battaglin, from Baronchelli to Corti, from Konyshev to Belli, from Casagrande to Simoni, without forgetting Marco Pantani who finished 3rd in three years, then 2nd and finally 1st (1992). The “Giro d’Italia Giovani Under 23” has been held uninterruptedly since 2017, relaunched by the current organizers after 5 years of hiatus, with great feedback from athletes, professionals, territories and the public. The 2021 edition was won by the Spanish talent Juan Ayuso, now a professional in the Uae-Emirates of Pogacar.