From 15 to 21 April, throughout the country, a series of events celebrates the ‘National Made in Italy Day’. 15 April marks the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s birth, and the initiative itself aims at raising public awareness of Italian creativity and excellence, and of the value and quality of Italian ingenuity and products.

This is the context for the presentation of the Giro Next Gen, organised by RCS Sport together with the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) for the 2023 edition, and scheduled from 9 to 16 June.

The event, organised at the headquarters of the Ministry for Enterprise and Made in Italy in Rome and presented by the Head of Cabinet of the Ministry Federico Eichberg, was attended by the Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino, the Councillor for Tourism and Sport of the Valle d’Aosta Region Giulio Grosjacques, the President of the Italian Cycling Federation Cordiano Dagnoni as well as many other institutions, media representatives and partners of the race.

The Giro Next Gen, which began in 1970 as the Giro d’Italia for the amateur category, is the world’s most important event for under-23 riders. The list of Italian winners include Francesco Moser (1971), Giovanni Battaglin (1972), Marco Pantani (1992) and Gilberto Simoni (1993), while some of the most important foreign winners were Piotr Ugrumov (1984), Thomas Pidcock (2020) and Juan Ayuso (2021).

Quotes

Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy: “Cycling, like Made in Italy, is a source of pride and unites the country: this exciting sport gives Italy champions that are admired internationally, and like our brand, the visiting card of our nation, it represents identity and excellence. It could therefore not fail to play a leading role among the celebrations linked to the first National Made in Italy Day, which we are celebrating with four hundred events throughout the country of sporting, cultural, historical, artistic and social importance. Best of luck to the young under-23 talents who will compete in the Giro Next Gen: they may become ambassadors of Italian cycling and of the Tricolour throughout their careers, a source of pride like the young entrepreneurs who represent the future of our Made in Italy”.

Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sport: “This is our second year as organisers, and with start again with great motivation, certain that the agreement with the Federation can give even more exposure to this event. We also want the appointment to gain more and more importance because it is not just a cycling event but a great opportunity to promote the territory, as already happens with our professional races, both for men and women. The fact that this presentation is part of the events chosen by the Ministry during the Made in Italy week is a sign of how much potential the Giro Next Gen also has at an institutional level. We believe that the race is a great opportunity because it presents, to a wide audience, those who will be the champions of tomorrow. Cycling is changing, and we see young riders competing to win in the professional races. This means that this race is no longer just a showcase but a real ‘taste of professionalism’ and we want to ensure that this is also the case at an organisational level’.

Mauro Vegni, RCS Sport Cycling Area Director: “As in 2023, the next edition will feature eight spectacular stages offering opportunities for all types of riders. There will be time trials, uphill finishes, fractions for sprinters and for more explosive riders. We expect a great participation from the best Under-23 teams in the world and we believe that the final winner will be a complete rider who can carry on the tradition of the great names on the roll of honour of this race“.

Giulio Grosjacques, Councillor for Tourism and Sport of the Valle d’Aosta Region: “Valle d’Aosta is a region with a great sporting vocation and this vocation is enhanced by events such as the Giro Next Gen, which is a driver of great promotion for our region as it touches on some of its cardinal points. It starts in Aosta, which in 2025 will turn 2050 since its foundation, but the race will also touch on Aymavilles, where one of the most beautiful castles of our cultural heritage is located, Courmayeur, which hosts the Skyway of which we are very proud, Saint-Vincent, one of the most important thermal resorts in the Region, and Verrès, the major industrial pole”.

Cordiano Dagnoni, President of the Italian Cycling Federation: “The youth categories are fundamental for the development of the movement and it is thanks to these competitions that the champions of the future are forged. This is why we are extremely satisfied with the collaboration with RCS Sport, which for us represents excellence at the organisational level. Among the planned projects is the Cycling Cup, a series of races involving the youth categories, both male and female, which will anticipate the race finish. It will be great to see these young athletes experience the thrill of cycling on the same routes beaten a few hours later by their older colleagues”.