European stars to shine in Trento in continental titles’ pursuit

The land of cycling champions like Francesco Moser, Maurizio Fondriest and Gilberto Simoni, Trentino will host the UEC Road European Championships in Trento, Monte Bondone and Valle dei Laghi from September 8th to 12th, 2021.
After a season affected by the pandemic, the European Road Cycling Championships will be among the highlights of a sensational season for Trentino, whose program was officially presented in Milan on Monday, July 12th, 2021, at the Fondazione Riccardo Catella.
During the 2021 summer, Val di Sole will host the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Daolasa di Commezzadura, Trentino (August 25-29), before handing over to Trento for the quest for the Road European Champion’s jerseys from September 8th to 12th, 2021.

Welcomed by Trentino’s Sports Assessor Roberto Failoni, Trentino Marketing’s President and CEO, Gianni Battaiola and Maurizio Rossini, Trento, Bondone, Valle dei Laghi Tourist Board’s President Franco Aldo Bertagnolli, Val di Sole Tourist Board Director Fabio Sacco, UCI Vice-President Renato Di Rocco, UEC (Union Européenne de Cyclisme) President Enrico Della Casa and Italian Cycling Federation President Cordiano Dagnoni attended the event.
Among the guests were also the Mayor of Trento Franco Ianeselli, the Vice-Mayor of Commezzadura Marco Podetti, Italian MTB National Team Coach Mirko Celestino, CPA (Cyclistes Professionnels Associés) President Gianni Bugno, the Managing Director of European Road Cycling Championships Trentino 2021 Maurizio Evangelista, MTB athletes Eleonora Farina and Chiara Teocchi and former cycling champions Francesco Moser and Gilberto Simoni. Italian National Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malagò and Road Cycling National Team Coach Davide Cassani also sent a video message.

In recent years, the European Championships have gained prestige and traction under the aegis of UEC (Union Européenne de Cyclisme), as confirmed by the roll of honor embellished by the name of champions such as Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff, Anna van der Breggen, Marianne Vos, Annemiek Van Vleuten and Italian Matteo Trentin, Elia Viviani and Giacomo Nizzolo.
With 13 titles for grabs over five days of competition, the Road European Championships will bring to Trentino over 800 athletes across the Junior, U23 and Elite categories. Scheduled between the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and the World Championships in Leuven, Belgium, the continental event organized by Trento, Monte Bondone and Valle dei Laghi Tourist Board, in close collaboration with Trentino Marketing, the Municipality of Trento and Trento Eventi Sport, will be hunting ground for punchy all-rounders.

To win on the charming finish line in Trento’s Piazza Duomo, the riders will need to get creative on the technical build-up or use their fast finish. The imagination: a thrilling and entertaining battle should be in the cards for September’s clashes.
For the first time, the Province of Trento will assign an international road cycling title. There is still the exclusive taste of a first time for an area well accustomed to the maximum levels of this sport.

13 TITLES OVER FIVE DAYS
From September 8th to 12th, 2021, a great show is expected on the European Championships courses. Five days of competition and thirteen titles to be awarded (six for men, six for women, and the Team Relay) with the Elite Men’s Road race as the grand finale. With 179,2 km of length, the Elite Men’s race will face the starting in-line section that crosses the Valle dei Laghi, and the famous climb of Monte Bondone from the Sopramonte/Candriai side. From the top, the riders will take a downhill slope towards Trento, where they will face eight laps of the 13,2 km city circuit with the Povo climb (3,6 km at 4,7%).
On the previous days, the city circuit will host the other European Championships races with start and finish in Piazza Duomo, while the time trials will take off from the MUSE – Sciences Museum in Trento, with the finish line located in Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici, taking place on a flat and fast course, suited to the specialists of the discipline.

THE PROGRAM
Here is the program of the 2021 UEC Road European Championships:

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021
Junior Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
Junior Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
Team Relay (Men/Women Team Time Trial) – 44,8 km (2 laps of 22,4 km)

Thursday, September 9th, 2021
Elite Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
U23 Women Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
U23 Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km
Elite Men Individual Time Trial – 22,4 km

Friday, September 10th, 2021
Junior Men Road Race – 107,2 km
Junior Women Road Race – 67,6 km
U23 Women Road Race – 80,8 km

Saturday, September 11th, 2021
U23 Men Road Race – 133,6 km
Elite Women Road Race – 107,2 km

Sunday, September 12th, 2021
Elite Men Road Race – 179,2 km

THE RISE OF THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Road European Championships were first contested 25 years ago (1995), and have grown in prominence in recent years thanks to the commitment of the UEC (Union Européenne de Cyclisme) in valorizing the tradition of cycling in Europe, where the sport was born and raised.
Since 2016, the European Champions of all categories have worn the champion’s jersey for an entire season. After the victory of Peter Sagan (2016) and Alexander Kristoff (2017), three Italian riders in a row claimed the Men’s Elite title: Matteo Trentin in Glasgow (2018), Elia Viviani in Alkmaar (2019), and Giacomo Nizzolo in Plouay (2020).
A POSTCARD FROM TRENTINO
After the renouncement to the 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 situation and the postponement to 2021, Trentino looks at the European Road Cycling Championships as a perfect showcase to display its beautiful landscapes. Thanks to the Eurovision TV coverage and the use of innovative solutions, the continental event will be broadcast in 71 Countries, exceeding the 14 million viewers registered in 2020.

“It will be a great showcase for Trentino, as well as for the city of Trento and the green landscapes that surround it, enhanced by the race finishes held in the innovative Albere district and the heart of the city, in Piazza Duomo. This initiative was made possible by the perfect collaboration with the city administration led by Mayor Franco Ianeselli. Once again, Trento confirms its sporting spirit on the great occasion”, said Franco Aldo Bertagnolli, President of Trento, Monte Bondone, Valle dei Laghi Tourist Board.
QUOTES

ROBERTO FAILONI (Trentino’s Tourism and Sport Assessor): “Cycling in Trentino has a long and successful history, but this season will be a memorable one. After a tough year, this amazing programme of events serves as a boost for the restart, in the name of Trentino’s organizational capacity, supported by the marketing and communication investments that are pushing us towards summer of good results.”

GIANNI BATTAIOLA (Trentino Marketing President): “We are all in need of normality, and we want to show to the whole World that our territory can be reached and enjoyed in full safety. We want to show what Trentino can give, making the most of the opportunity coming from these major events.”

MAURIZIO ROSSINI (CEO Trentino Marketing): “The Trentino 2021 European Championships and the MTB World Championships in Val di Sole are a challenge that Trentino is eager to take. In this year of restart, we are showing how strong the roots that bind us to cycling and bicycles are. From our history of great events to a great cycling offer for all two-wheels lovers, cycling always finds its elected land in Trentino.”

GIOVANNI MALAGO’ (Italian National Olympic Commitee President): “Our Olympic Committee is proud of those who, like the Trentino’s organizers, commit for the prestige of our sports movement with World-class events. We are grateful to who brings such added value to Italian sports as a whole.”

RENATO DI ROCCO (UCI Vice President): “Trentino has showed to believe in cycling and showed it in plenty of occasions. It’s a long history of professionality and success, and I have no doubt that the MTB World Championships and the Road European Championships will add new gems to this collection.”

CORDIANO DAGNONI (Italian Cycling Federation President): “There’s great synergy between our Federation and Trentino, a land of cycling champions and great organizational skills. This 2021 summer will be a major showcase for our Italian cycling movement.”

FRANCO IANESELLI (Mayor of Trento): “I am glad because the European Champs will be a key stage for Trento’s return to normal, and because we are proud to welcome such a number of champions. Trento lives and moves by bike, and the city can’t wait to live the event.”

FRANCO BERTAGNOLLI (Trento, Monte Bondone, Valle dei Laghi Tourist Board President): “Cycling is part of our history and culture, and the European Championships will be a valuable opportunity to communicate what our land has to give to cyclo-tourists from all over the World.”

ENRICO DELLA CASA (Presidente UEC): “In September, 800 athletes from 45 nations and overall 1200 people will reach Trento and Trentino, a land of great hospitality. We are putting on great teamwork with the local committee and authorities to provide a spectacular edition.“

MAURIZIO EVANGELISTA (Managing Director Euroroad 2021): “It is going to be a spectacular European Championship for the beauty of its courses and its locations. The races will live starts and finishes in places of great significant in Trento, and the Elite Men’s race will also cross the charming Valle dei Laghi and climb iconic Monte Bondone. The distance under 180 km will result into explosive races, that will enhance the technical prestige of the events and possibly stage a challenge between different generations.”

FRANCESCO MOSER: „Cycling is part of our life, thanks to the mountains, the cycle path and MTB courses of our land. Those events are the highest point of a long process started many years ago, and that is now paying off.”

GILBERTO SIMONI: “I expect a spectacular and tense race in Trento. Those who lose a few seconds on the Candriai climb will struggle to recover them on the downhill. Also, athletes cannot overlook the Povo climb: it won’t be easy as it seems.”

GIANNI BUGNO (CPA President): “The route is beautiful and very well maintained, both the road race and time trial ones. The spectacular finish in Piazza Duomo adds further hype to an entertaining, technical and safe course.”

DAVIDE CASSANI (Italian Road National Team Coach): “Congrats to Trentino for the exceptional value of the events they keep on staging, from the great festival of the MTB World Championships to a European Road Championship where we’ll try to repeat the feats of the last three editions. It’s a route suited for fast athletes, but they’ll have to work for a their opportunity on a technical and entertaining course.”

Milan (Italy), July 12th, 2021