On the day in which Italy celebrates the Liberation, the heart of the capital was invaded by two wheels. Faithful to a tradition that has now blown out 77 candles, the cycling Grand Prix of Liberation took place, historic event which over the years has seen athletes at the starting line in Rome who have gone on to write indelible pages on this sport. The names of Gianni Bugno, Matteo Trentin and Matthew Goss remain engraved in the roll of honor of an event considered rightfully the “Spring World Championship”.
By will of the Administration of Rome Capitale, this year the event, organized by Terenzi Sport Eventi, acquires even greater prestige because it will be a sort of prologue to the epilogue of the 107th Giro d’Italia, which will end on May 26th in Rome.
Entertainment in the races staged today, which started with the women’s one and ended with the Under 23, with Bike4Fun in the middle, which allowed hundreds of amateurs and citizens to cycle for free among the historical remains of the Capital, from the Baths of Caracalla passing through the Aurelian Walls , the Pyramid of Cestius, the Circus Maximus with the Colosseum in the background. Also on bikes are the guys from ANED Sport – National Association of Hemodialysis and Transplant Patients and AIDO – Italian Association of Organ Donors, whose presence was strongly supported by the organizers of the GP Liberazione who support their initiatives.
THE UNDER 23 RACE – The 77th Liberation Grand Prix showcased the best U23 talents in the heart of Rome. The 166 participants from 34 teams set off on this windy afternoon of April 25th in a jumble of shots and counter shots, to attempt a coup in a circuit worthy of an authentic… Spring World Cup.
Among the liveliest was the young star of the Italian track Etienne Grimod (Biesse Carrera) but the turning point came on the fifth to last lap, when eleven went away: Owen Colen (UAE Gen Z), Jose Ramon Muniz (Petrolike), Gianmarco Carpene ( Trevigiani Marchiol), Giovanni Zordan (Zalf Euromobil Fior), Christian Bagatin (MBH Colpack Ballan), Federico Biagini and Matteo Scalco (VF Bardiani Csf Faizanè), Marco Andreaus and Thomas Capra (CTF), Davide Donati and Andrea Montoli (Biesse Carrera) .
In the third to last round the blaze of Bagatin and Donati led to a fraying of the leading group and the total explosion of the group, with continuous attempts to gain momentum. In a few kilometers the leading tandem was joined by Andreaus, Biagini and Montoli, therefore there were five of them who were greeted by the bell for the decisive round.
A very poker player competing for victory? No, a sextet, given that Muniz he joined back and contributed to the unpredictability until the final meters. Biagini gives everything to go in search of the first success of the season, but at the big bend from the descent of Viale Baccelli to the finishing straight all six show up: Donati and Montoli dominated the sprint and finished first and second respectively ahead of the aforementioned Biagini.
In his first season as an U23 player from Brescia Davide Donati, born in 2005, Junior Lombard regional champion last year, after having placed second in recent months at the Coppa San Geo and at the Giro del Belvedere, found his triumph today at the Liberazione in Rome: “We raced a race that was all about attack and at the finish line we knew we were faster – he declared on the podium – Now focus on the next objectives, first of all the exams at school! The dedication? To our teammate Francesco Galimberti, victim of a very bad fall at the Giro della Romagna.”
The winner was awarded Svetlana Celli, president of the Capitoline Assembly, who commented as follows: “The GP Liberazione cycling is certainly one of the most beautiful events taking place in our city, a moment of sport which is also an opportunity for tourism promotion and valorisation of the artistic and historical beauties of the our city. This event is also an important opportunity for aggregation through sport, a fundamental tool for improving the quality of life of citizens. The GP Liberazione takes on an even more important meaning because it takes place on a particularly significant historical date, especially in a difficult moment like the one we are going through.”
Etienne Grimod, representing a Biesse Carrera that really took this race head on (similar to what the women’s UAE did in the morning) he won the combativeness award named after the historic patron of Liberazione, Eugenio Bomboni. A moment that symbolically traced the line of continuity between the prestigious Primavera Ciclistica tradition and the present and future signed Terenzi Sport Eventi: “I am proud to have made such an important event a three-day event for all tastes and categories – says Claudio Terenzi – which allows future professionals to the youngest to pedal in a dream setting, without forgetting this year Friday 26th with the amateurs and runners who participate in this great celebration. And above all, the Bike 4 Fun: a great idea from Councilor Onorato, which I had the honor of putting into practice.”
About that Alessandro Onorato, councilor for major events, sport and fashion of Rome Capitalstated: “The Grand Prix of Liberation grows year after year, in this edition there are 2 thousand participants in the three days of competition. I underline the beauty and importance of Bike4Fun, with which funds will be raised to donate to Aned and at Aido.These events help us bring Rome and the Romans closer to sport, which is necessary to spread healthy habits every day and to push people to take care of themselves with a ride, a run, a walk appointments, we give new opportunities for leisure and entertainment to citizens and especially to tourists who will arrive in Rome during this long weekend: over 1.2 million visitors are expected between 25 April and 1 May. We intend to make Rome increasingly central for cycling The conditions are all there and in a few days we will host, for the second consecutive year, the great arrival of the Giro d’Italia.”
Representing the Board of Directors of Sport e Salute, the body that sponsors the winner’s blue shirt, Maria Spena: “The GP Liberazione is an event that involves everyone and embodies the true values of sport, in particular of cycling which I believe is a tool that we should all use for our physical well-being. The beauty of the route, in the heart of the capital, obviously contributes to the charm of this event. Obviously the Liberazione also has a strong competitive value, it has always been a springboard towards professionalism for the Under 23s who were protagonists here in Rome today”.
THE EVENTS OF FRIDAY 26 AND SATURDAY 27 APRIL –
As already mentioned, this year the GP Liberazione will not end on April 25th. The Village will be open until Saturday 27th (free entry – from 10am to 8pm) where you can get to know the protagonists of the competitions, visit the stands and take part in the various collateral initiatives on the theme of sustainable mobility. On Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April the collateral events are scheduled that will mark this 77th edition as an event full of content, sport and solidarity. Friday 26 April, at 3pm, the race for amateurs, the “Urbis et Orbis Cup” on a 5 kilometer route to be repeated 12 times; On Saturday 27th the Junior men’s test is scheduled (9.30 am) and the men’s tests of the Students (12.30 pm) and Beginners categories (3.30 pm).
As a corollary to the two-wheel festival, on Friday 26th, on the same route as the cycling race, there will be space for running enthusiasts with a running test, organized by Appia Run, which will start at 6.30pm.
