THE "DA MORENO TROPHY - MEMORIAL ERSILIO FERRARIO" AS A 'MINY WORLD CUP'

The first edition of the Da Moreno Trophy - Memorial Ersilio Ferrario – will take place on Sunday morning, just before the  Alfredo Binda Trophy,  the second stage of the Women World Cup Elite Circuit. The morning race, reserved to the Junior and Under categories, is the opening event for this season Italian calendar. This competition, once a regular for Cittiglio sport enthusiasts, was last organized in 2007. The last winner was Marina Romoli, who attacked on the straight uphill towards Brenta leaving behind Elena Berlato, Gloria Presti, Junior World Champion Eleonora Patuzzo, two-time European Champion Valentina Scandolara, home favourite Valentina Carretta and Alessia Massaccesi, Elite Italian Champion Borgato Jade, Erika Dal Piaz and Francesca Faustini. The athletes will start from Laveno Mombello at 9:30. Then they will compete for 61km on an itinerary that can be divided into three parts: the first part filled with ups and downs around Laveno Mombello, Sangiano, Caravate, Gemonio and Cittiglio, the second part consists of five laps around Cittiglio, Brenta and Casalzuigno with sprints at each lap under the finish banner and the last larger lap with the ascent of Orino which will shake things up right before the arrival in the centre of Cittiglio.

Part of the Hall of Fame of this competition, champions such as Valeria Cappellotto (1987), Fabiana Luperini (1991), Greta Zocca (1992), Noemi Cantele (1999), Anna Gusmini (2000 and 2001), Giorgia Bronzini (2002), Marta Bastianelli (2006) and Marina Romoli (2007). This year winner is to be found among the best Italian teams and a good representation of foreign athletes. The athletes entered are 121 . Among them, and title holders: the Italian Time Trial Champion Stella  Riverditi, the Junior Italian Team members that raced in Valkenburg Ilaria Sanguineti and Asja Paladin, the multi-medallist at the Italian Track Championship (a gold and four silvers) Lisa Gamba, the Italian Road vice-champion and European bronze Team Pursuit medallist Ana Maria Covrig. Also among the protagonists there will be the European Point Race Champion Arianna Fidanza, ex professional rider Giovanni Fidanza’s daughter, 2012 best First Year Junior  Sara Coffinardi, two-time Italian Road Champion Claudia Cretti, the multi-winners from the Cadet category Sara Wackermann, Daniela Magnetto Allietta, Angela Maffeis and Maria Vittoria Sperotto, the ex Italian Time Trial Champion Sara Romanin, the Italian Cyclocross Champion Chiara Galimberti, the Italian Road Team Member at the European Championships Nicole Dal Santo, the 2012 bronze medallist at the Italian Championship  Miriam Romei, the bronze Continental Point Race medallist Natasha Grillo, the bronze European Team Pursuit medallist Michela Maltese, the regional champion Michela Balducci , and last year Italian Track Championship winner Maila Andreotti. The Italian riders will be especially aware of the foreign-registered teams which will turn this race into a Mini World Cup. The young star from Lithuania Rasa Pocyte (VC Vaiano - Fondriest), sixth in the World Championships in Valkenburg (the best First Year Junior), will have the support of six Lithuanian National team mates, also six riders from the French National Team and the young Danish talent Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, silver medallist at the Time Trial World Championship in Valkenburg and eighth in the road race will be at the start. These are grounds to a very exciting race, from the start to the most unpredictable ending.