Everything ready for the Binda Trophy. “It’ll be spectacular in Cittiglio.”

 The best women cyclists in the world are the best because they started young, and this helped them to grow, improve and gain experience. Also for this reason, Cycling Sport Promotion has staked a lot not only on the World Cup “Binda Trophy”, for the Elite women athletes (the highest international level), but also on the junior race, a preview to the great event, which, on Sunday 30 March, will enliven the roads of Valcuvia with sport, passion and spectacle. Let’s talk about the “Binda”, the most important Italian classic race in the women’s schedule, sponsored by Mario Minervino, who is now “overwhelmed” by the grand finale, from the organisation point of view.

“Also this year we are approaching the World Cup with great satisfaction,” explained the director of Caravate, during a short break in the work, “because, once again, we’ve created an event that is possibly unequalled in the world of women’s cycling. In addition to the race itself, we’ve prepared a long list of side events, involving schools and people, and enabling them to best welcome outside visitors.

RECORD TURNOUT – As we pointed out earlier this week, this aspect is greatly felt by the organisation which, this year, can boast even greater numbers. “As we wait to see the race, this is the clearest result,” Minervino said smiling. “We’ve filled up all of the hotel rooms in the area; anyone that wants to stay overnight has to go to Varese, because everything is sold out in these parts. Frankly, this is the first time that we’ve achieved these numbers; women’s cycling is a growing movement, our event proves it. By the way, it’s the first time that teams have been training on the route from the Tuesday/Wednesday before the race; it’s a sign that the teams are getting ready for the race in the best possible way, and can face it with the utmost attention, as if it were a World Championship.”

THE “E” FACTOR- From a sports point of view, the “Binda” will see the participation of the greatest champions in women’s cycling, with the only important exception of Marianne Vos. The Dutch “cannibal” has had to take a break, after also dominating the cyclo-cross season, and will not be taking part in the race, which she has already won three times. “It’ll be spectacular on the road, and my hope is that an Italian wins this year, as Elisa Longo Borghini did last year, which was the first time in a very long time,” Minervino said. “I think that Elisa and Rossella Ratto are the two Italians that can try to win, although, in the first races of the season, it was the foreigners that shone. Of these, if I have to choose, I’d like Emma Johansson to win; she’s always been present, she’s often raced among the best, but is labelled the “eternal second place athlete”. Now, she’s number one in the ranking. It would be nice if she won, if no Italian does.”

(Longo Borghini’s solo victory in 2013, which ended the series of 12 victories by foreigners)

YOUNG PROMISES – However, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, Minervino, in particular, spoke proudly about the “Da Moreno” Trophy, the race for the junior category, which returned in 2013, after a few years’ absence. “The World Cup event is now an established race. For this reason, we “stopped” at 24 teams and decided to strengthen the junior race; worldwide, there are very few similar competitions and I think I can say that, after the World and European Cups, there’s Cittiglio, in order of importance. There’ll be four foreign teams, one more than the usual limit, since UCI has made an exception for us, and five of the first ten cyclists in the ranking of the last World Cup in Florence.”

500 BEHIND THE SCENES –

And so, the organising machine is working hard and is not far from the finishing line. The program is full (there will also be a celebration for the twinning of Cittiglio with Camerota, with a dinner in the park near the Nord railway station) and, most of all, on Sunday, it will be supported by a great deployment of forces. There will be approximately 500 volunteers deployed by Cycling Sport Promotion, between the start, in Laveno, and the finish, in Cittiglio, and the whole length of the rote will be manned as usual. “It is a remarkable effort, which allows us to organise a top level competition. Incidentally, this year’s race will touch the shores of Lake Maggiore, between Laveno and Monvalle; another way to get people to discover a beautiful territory that’s perfect for anyone that loves cycling.”