At the headquarters of Follador Prosecco Wines the official presentation of the 73rd edition of the Trofeo Piva, one of the most prestigious U23 classics in international cycling, took place. Once again this year, the route will feature the Combai climb and the deadly SanVigilio climb. The appointment is for Sunday, 3 April.
The curtain officially rose on the 73rd edition of the Piva Trophy. In the splendid location of the headquarters of Follador Prosecco Wines in Farra di Soligo (Treviso), a company with more than 250 years of history behind it, the organisers of AC Col San Martino, which this year celebrates 60 years since its foundation, officially unveiled all the details of the race scheduled for Sunday, 3 April 2022.
In addition to the top management of AC Col San Martino, the presentation was also attended by the Mayor of Col SanMartino, Mattia Perencin, Sports Councillor Manuela Merotto, Senator Angela Colmellere, and Veneto Region Councillors Sonia Brescancin and Alberto Villanova. In the cycling sphere, on the other hand, the President of the Veneto FCI, Sandro Checchin, and that of the Treviso section Giorgio Dal Bò, the lawyer Barbara Baratto, President of the Federal Court of Appeal, as well as Giancarlo Bada, winner of the Piva Trophy in 1982, were present.
“This is a traditional appointment, we like to get together to present the route and to thank all those who allow the Piva Trophy to be what it is,” began AC ColSan Martino President Mario De Rosso. “The organisational effort is very important, so I would like to thank first and foremost the 13 members of the AC Col San Martino board who spend sleepless nights preparing the event. Then, as always, my thanks go to all the sponsors, the institutions, the civil protection and all the volunteers who lend us a hand’.
“It is a symbolic event for the entire area, which I consider one of the most beautiful in the world,” said the Mayor of Col San Martino, Mattia Perencin, “We hear about it from the outside, and perhaps it would be right to have more self-respect and a desire to get to know it better. I can assure you that the commitment shown by President De Rosso and his collaborators is enormous, we are in contact on a daily basis, and they are keen to leave nothing to chance. The level guaranteed by the organisation is already very high, but the ambition is to grow even more. I wish everyone a happy Piva Trophy!”.
And on the subject of the Prosecco hills: ‘If this area is so beautiful it is thanks to those who have worked there over the years. I am talking about those who have looked after the beautiful Prosecco hills and those who have enhanced it through sport such as AC Col San Martino, many of them volunteers. The Region invests and will always invest in cycling, because it is a great vehicle for promoting the region,’ said Alberto Villanova, Councillor of the Veneto Region.
‘The numbers of this event speak for themselves,’ spoke the President of the Veneto FCI, Sandro Checchin, ‘A race that synthesises everything: landscapes, sport, and business realities. For us it is fundamental to have the public administration and the passion of these sponsors at our side, and for this I would like to thank them for what they do for our sport. “The history of cycling has been written here,’ was echoed by the President of the Treviso section, Giorgio Dal Bò. ‘The province of Treviso is an excellence from this point of view, also thanks to a race like the Piva. Every year this event manages to take a step forward, the San Vigilio is a beautiful intuition from a technical point of view, and I am sure that this year too there will be fun to be had’.
‘We have always supported this event, because we feel it is very close to us,’ concluded hostess Cristina Follador, spokesperson for her family. ‘It fully represents the values of sport and is an integral part of the Col San Martino community. Our goal is to enhance the Prosecco hills, and to do this it is right to promote those associations that do everything they can to bring out these beauties. As far as we are concerned, on race day we will be in the field with our ‘Bollicine di strada’ project, a food track that sells thousands of bottles of our Prosecco each year and that we also want cycling fans to try’.
Also on display was the prize for the winner of the Trofeo Piva 2022, created by iron sculptor Valentino Moro. The trophy was created on a sloping base that simulates the gradients on a hilly landscape, while a wheel, formed by the twist of a supple branch moved by the wind, synthesises and summarises, with great elegance and composure, the dynamism of the race. The sculpture is further embellished by a sturdy blue glass that, set between the spokes, seems to guard a corner of the sky.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Photos: 1) The presentation was held in the beautiful location of Follador Prosecco Wines (Credits: Bolgan). 2) The altimetry of the Piva Trophy on 3 April.
THE ROUTE
The excellent feedback received last year prompted the organisers to confirm almost the entire route for 2021. The only and not insignificant novelty is that the start and finish will return to the more iconic Via Treviset in Col San Martino, after the interlude in Via Giarentine in the last edition. Framing the race will be, as per tradition, the Prosecco hills, a UNESCO heritage site.
After a stretch of 11.9 km in which the riders will ascend towards Guia and then descend again, the circuit will begin with the Combai climb, 17.7 km long and to be repeated seven times. Things will change about 45 km from the finish, when the circuit will be enriched for the last two laps by the terrible San Vigilio climb, 700 metres at an average gradient of 10%, extremely hard but scenically noteworthy. The penultimate lap will be 19.4 km long, while in the last one the San Vigilio wall will be tackled as many as twice, before and after the Combai climb, with the last climb coming close to the grand finale of Via Treviset in ColSan Martino.
Last year’s race turned out to be rather selective, with Juan Ayuso managing to make the difference on the last passage up the Combai and the San Vigilio climb. It is likely that this year, too, a rider with similar characteristics to the talented Spaniard could prevail.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS TROFEO PIVA 2022
Italians: Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè, CT Friuli, Colpack Ballan, Biesse Carrera, Carnovali Rime Sias, Viris Vigevano, UC Trevigiani, Zalf Euromobil Désirée Fior, General Store Essegibi F. lli Curia, Work Service Vitalcare Videa, CT Valcavasia, Team Gaiaplast Maglificio L.B Bibanese, Team Qhubeka, Mastromarco Sensi Nibali, Petroli Firenze-Hopplà-Don Camillo, Parkpre Racing Team, D’Amico UM Tools, Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino.
Internationals: Ukrainian National Team, German National Team, Team Sauerland (Germany), Eolo-Kometa (Spain), Israel Cycling Academy (Israel), Astana Qazaqstan DT (Kazakhstan), Zappi Racing Team Academy, JRC-Interflon Race (Great Britain), Tirol KTM, WSA KTM Graz p/b LEOMO (Austria), KK Kranj, Ljubljana Gusto Santic (Slovenia), WPGA U23 Academy (Netherlands), Team Novo Nordisk (USA), UC Monaco (Principality of Monaco), Colombia Tierra De Atletas GW Bicicletas (Colombia), A. R. Monex (Republic of San Marino).
NOTA MEDIA
All those who would like to accredit for the Piva Trophy on 3 April, with access to the press room and other areas, are kindly requested to send an e-mail to press@accolsanmartino.it, specifying Name, Surname and Header for which they wish to accredit. We would also like to inform you that a press conference with the three athletes who will end up on the podium will be held after the prize-giving ceremony.