After a decade of absence, the Giro del Veneto returns to the professional cycling calendar. Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert is invited to the classic, organized for the first time in 1909 and now part of a triptych with the unprecedented Serenissima Gravel and the Veneto Classic.
On Wednesday, the riders under the sportive direction of Valerio Piva will start in Citadella, for the Giro del Veneto (1.1, 13/10) of 169 kilometer towards Padova. After 40 kilometer, they will meet the nights of Vicence, with two categorized climbs. Halfway through the race, they will climb the Euganean Hills. The Bivio Fiorine (2.3 km at 3.3%) is repeated three times. The top of the sixth and last climb of the parcours is situated around 30 kilometer before the finish on Prato della Valle, which is judged as one of the largest squares of the continent.
« Thanks to the return of the Giro del Veneto on the race calendar, I can relive a lot of childhood memories this week. I remember that I was at the start of the previous edition in 2012, as a neopro. Until today, that was the last pro race in my birth region. Before, the Giro d’Italia also passed in Bassano del Grappa and on La Rosina. I know each corner of that climb, it was one of the favorite climbs of my U23 team. I expect a great atmosphere and a lot of familiar faces along the roads, where I trained each day during the first six years of my pro career. I’m looking forward to the presence of my parents, who live nearby the finish of the Veneto Classic. Of course I’m really motivated to perform well in my home race. My strong performances in my previous races give me a lot of confidence to tackle the difficult parcours! »
Giro del Veneto:
Jan Bakelants
Stijn Daemen
Odd Christian Eiking
Riccardo Minali
Andrea Pasqualon
Simone Petilli
Lorenzo Rota
