Two Italian jerseys to be won, in the centre of Varese

Cycling is returning to the centre of Varese, with the Italian Women’s Championship, on Sunday 29 June, on a circuit entirely within the city limits. The event, which was sought by the Binda Team, for an “all-women” celebration of its 85 years of racing, also involved the Garden City last year, with the start of the race, which ended in Valcuvia. This year, the whole race will be within the city limits, and although, on the one hand, it will stop the traffic in some places, on the other, it will fill Varese with sport and side events that everyone can take part in.

The focal point of the day will be Piazza Montegrappa: start, finishing line, accreditation centre (in the Chamber of Commerce), prize-giving, space for sponsors’ stands, the organisation, the Post Office (there will be a special postmark for the occasion), and so on. Thus, Varese will be copying certain great cycling events in the North, also in preparation for the upcoming Tre Valli (Three Valleys), on 18 September, a race that is always organised by the Binda Team, which, with the pre-World Championship classification, should once again attract a fair number of champions.

GREETINGS – In the meantime, however, the women are coming, to the satisfaction of the director of the Tourist Agency, Paola Della Chiesa (who hosted the press conference in the building opposite the racecourse) and the Councillor for Sport, Maria Ida Piazza, the only women on the City Council. Both explained the importance of hosting a national event in the city, and emphasised the organisational ability of Varese, even during years of financial difficulty.

“Irrespective of the financial problems, it’s easy for us to organise these events in the province,” Renzo Oldani, Chairman of the Binda Team, repeated, “because we always manage to work with the Provincial and City Councils. Once more, we’re organising an event that will promote sport and the Province. And maybe a few roads will be put right, in preparation for the race, which is never a bad thing,” he said, smiling. RAI will also be there, to film the event (the decision of when it will be broadcast will be taken in the next few days).

Oldani, who subsequently left the description of the race to his invaluable collaborator, Roberto Casnati (READ HERE), also mentioned that the route for the Italian Championships was designed together with Coach Salvoldi and the Local Police, to create as little inconvenience as possible (although a few difficulties must be allowed for, ed.).

(from left to right: Maria Ida Piazza, Sergio Gianoli, Paola Della Chiesa and Renzo Oldani)

NOT ONLY CYCLING – The secondary events, which the Binda Team hope will also involve those less interested in the race itself, will include the CONI initiative “La Violenza non è uno sport” (“Violence is no sport”), the indoor bike exhibition, with the Bellavista Sports Centre, the exhibition of a number of Ferraris and vintage cars (thanks to VAMS, in the case of the latter) in Piazza San Vittore, with several cars subsequently driving along part of the competition route. And then, the above-mentioned postmark, with an official postcard issued by the Italian Post Office, the sale of special jerseys commemorating the Binda Team’s 85 years, and musical entertainment, with Radio Village.

THE RACE – In addition to the Binda Team, and the local authorities, the organisation also involved the provincial directors of Federciclismo, led by Massimo Rossetti; the Panathlon Club Varese will also be setting up a moving target at kilometre 60, to celebrate its six decades of activity. This will be repeated in the upcoming Tre Valli, and then continued, at least that is what the Chairman, Lorenzo Benzi, intends.

About sixty Elite cyclists will be taking part, with only Valentina Carretta (Alé MCipollini) representing Varese Province, and attempting to win the jersey won by Noemi Cantele in 2011 (HERE, the roll of honour). Five local athletes will be competing among the Juniores, although, unfortunately, there are no longer any local teams in the top junior category, a fact that should make a region with such strong ties to cycling reflect.

Predictions of how the race will go are difficult, although Flaviano Ossola – an expert who runs the website Pedale Rosa – has tried to make some. “Among the Elite, I think the favourites are Giorgia Bronzini and Elisa Longo Borghini, the first, because of the route, and the second, because destiny might give her what she was denied last year (she suffered a serious accident in the Italian trials, ed.). It’s more difficult to make predictions for the Juniores; it could be won by one of the two Sofias, Begin and Bertizzolo, from the Breganze Club, or Claudia Cretti, who has already had five successes this year. But it’s still very open.”