174 riders, 35 teams (including 19 foreign): Monday April 2nd, the best U23 prospects in cycling will face the 80th Giro del Belvedere. Live coverage on the official website

A high-class, tough and uncertain race goes on the stage tomorrow, Monday April 2nd: A great show is expected at the 80th Giro del Belvedere, gathering a strong international field once again. By way of comparison, as the Ronde Van Vlaanderen is widely known as the “university of cycling”, the Italian classic represents a traditional springboard for the best U23 athletes in the World in view of the professional career.

The dream of the best youngsters in cycling starts from Villa di Cordignano (Treviso, Northern Italy) with the aim is to pick up the baton from the last winner, former U23 European Champion Aleksandr Riabushenko. Indeed, throughout 95 years of history, the Easter Monday Classic glory blessed a number of top-level prospects, such as Vito Favero (1951), Silvio Martinello (1983), Maurizio Fondriest (1986) and Ivan Gotti (1990).

174 athletes, 35 teams (19 of which foreigner) announce the clash between the Italian and the international rising stars. The eve’s predictions assigned the national riders the role of underdogs, but Alessandro Covi (Team Colpack) and Samuele Battistella (Zalf Euromobil Désirée Fior) will be in first line to disrupt the plans of the main favourites, under the eyes of Italian National Team Manager Davide Cassani and U23 coach Marino Amadori.

Climbers, puncheurs, cobbles specialists: the Giro del Belvedere is suitable for athletes with different characteristics. Aleksandr Vlasov (Russia), Robert Stannard (Mitchelton Bike Exchange), Mark Donovan (Team Wiggins) and Tadej Pogacar (Ljubljana Gusto Xaurum) will try to inflame the race in the climb sections, as the “young lions of Flanders”, Gent Wevelgem/Kattekoers’ winner Ziga Jerman (Pogacar’s teammate) and the runner-up of the Belgian race Jake Stewart (Great Britain) will be in first line in case of reduced sprint.

Great expectations for the European debut of Colombian Brayan Chaves (Mitchelton Bike Exchange), brother of the most famous Esteban, runner-up at the 2016 Giro d’Italia and Giro di Lombardia’s winner in the same year.Pro Belvedere’ organizers confirmed the 166,6 Km route with start and finish line in Villa di Cordignano: the first part of the race unfolds along a 12-Km circuit to be repeated 11 times, including the Conche hill, whilst the finale is characterized by two laps of another circuit of 17,3 Km with the classic Montaner climb and Via delle Longhe hill, a perfect springboard in view of the finish line.

Through a written live coverage on the event’s official website, cycling fans will be able to follow the Italian classic from the start to the finish in real time, while also interacting on Twitter with the hashtag #GirodelBelvedere. In addition, 2018 Giro del Belvedere joined an experimental project to follow the radio race updates on the smartphones by the free-of-charge downloadable app “Zello”. The app requires an internet connection.