"Doubles" and "triples" open the GP Liberazione: winners are Wright (Juniors), Alessiani (Cadets), Ferro (Beginners), and Bernardinetti (Amateurs)

The first day of competitions of the 78th Gran Premio della Liberazione ended today with the races reserved for Juniors, Allievi, Esordienti, and the one for Amateurs, which saw 700 cyclists parade through the historic Caracalla circuit in the heart of Rome.

Tomorrow, the big day with the two top races. At 9:00 am, the Coati Liberazione Women (1.1), valid as the fourth women's stage of the Coppa Italia delle Regioni, which will be broadcast delayed streaming shortly after the awards ceremony on the Youtube channel of the Lega Ciclismo Professionistico and Tuttobiciweb, and delayed on TV on Rai Sport at 3:00 pm. At 12:00, one of the most significant moments regarding the social as well as sporting aspect of the Liberazione: the "Bike 4 Fun - pedal ride of giving" which will allow anyone who wants to spend a carefree hour cycling to ride in the heart of the Capital. At 2:00 pm, the 78th edition of the "queen race" of the GP Liberazione reserved for Under 23s live on Bike Channel and online channels of Toscana Sprint. At 6:30 pm, the three days of the Lazio Bike Days will close with the 10 km running race (competitive and non-competitive) organized in collaboration between Terenzi Sport Eventi and Appia Run. 

TODAY'S RACES

The Cavaliere Liberazione Juniores opened the dances. Under the watchful eye of the junior national coach Dino Salvoldi, former sports director of Pantani and Nibali Beppe Martinelli, the president of the Lazio regional committee of the Federciclismo Maurizio Brilli, and a large audience, the main sponsor Clemente Cavaliere waved the start and the athletes from as many as 35 teams, 5 of which were foreign, set off to tackle 15 laps and a total of 90 kilometers. In the first half of the race, Achille Bellato (Energy Team) tried a solo breakaway but when the pace increased in the second half, the Australian team ARA Skip Capital took center stage, highlighting the international nature of the event: their relentless attacks created a leading group of five, but it was in the eleventh lap that the winning move materialized. Two of the youngest riders in the entire startlist, Connor Wright and Ben Coates, broke away "in tandem" and rode with regular changes and perfect cornering lines for over twenty triumphant kilometers, during which they kept a group of almost fifty at bay. Little agreement in the chase, some tandems here and there tried to escape, but with a splendid parade finish Wright wins over Coates: the scene on the awards stage was beautiful, with the two teammates also sharing the combativity award named after the historic former president of the Lazio regional committee of the Federciclismo Antonio Zanon. Behind them, Francesco Baruzzi (Aspiratori Otelli) completes the podium ahead of Riccardo Colombo (Bustese Olonia) and the Belarusian Ilya Slesarenko, standard-bearer of the Veleka team of patron Terenzi.

"A very tough race, I'm happy... and relieved to have finished," jokes the winner Connor Wright after his victory, who is used to constant accelerations and very technical courses, being an Australian off-road talent who today achieved a major road victory in the capital of Italy, "we successfully completed a strategy entirely focused on attack!"

With tight organizational rhythms, always marked and narrated at the finish line by speakers Moreno Martin and Ivan Cecchini, the legendary Caracalla circuit then hosted the Gp Liberazione Allievi (over a distance of 60 kilometers) and the Gp Liberazione Esordienti for 30 kilometers.

Among the Allievi there was also a double win, although not in parade, with Petrucci Zero24 repeating yesterday's dominance in the Italian team time trial championships. A large breakaway formed "in pieces": at the start, Filippo Cingolani (Zero24), Francesco Dell'Olio (Pirata Vangi Sama), and Giorgio Bramini (Gubbio Mocaiana) broke away from the group; halfway through the race, Andrea Alessiani (Zero24), Lorenzo Ceccarello (Monselice), and Brian Paris (Work Service Coratti) joined, while on the penultimate lap the sextet became a group of 11 when Pietro Ferronato (team Petrucci), Tommaso Cingolani (Zero24), Riccardo Longo (Biassono), Lorenzo Ferraro (Work Service Coratti), and Mirko Nembrini (scuola ciclismo Cene) joined. The outcome was decided in the final lap: Pietro Ferronato attacked and Filippo Cingolani followed, Francesco Dell'Olio attacked and Andrea Alessiani followed; from this quartet, on the climb, Dell'Olio tried but F. Cingolani acted as a stopper, paving the way for the winning solo burst by Alessiani, who thus opens his 2025 palmarès after scoring three times last year. Then Cingolani beat Dell'Olio for the second step of the podium, Ferronato crossed the finish line in fourth place solo, Tommaso Cingolani won the sprint for fifth place, putting three Zero24 boys in the top 5.

"We wanted to be outnumbered up front and I managed to get into the breakaway with some of the favorite opponents - says Alessiani, awarded on stage by Lazio Region councilor Marco Colarossi - also having to get back on my own because they almost knocked me down... My plan was to anticipate, but since they were marking me closely I decided to wait for someone else to move, to counterattack and go away alone."

One-man show and one-team show among the Esordienti. Leaving alone after just three kilometers, the Italian cyclocross champion of the category scores his third road victory of the year: his name is Luca Ferro, his team is Bustese Olonia, his city is Busto Arsizio, his idol is Remco Evenepoel, his best friend races with him, his name is Arbi Gashi and he comes second alongside teammate Marco Cammarata. That's right: Ferro first, Gashi second, and Cammarata third, with the two breaking away from the group halfway through the race. Total dominance by the Varese club: "I hadn't planned to go so early, the sports director had advised me to attack on the third lap - Luca Ferro later revealed - but for safety, since I don't like sprints, I preferred not to wait. I wasn't sure I'd have such fresh legs after six hours of travel yesterday, I'm really happy also because in some previous victories I was accused of unfairness. Today I proved I can win clearly!"

12 km from the finish, Gabriele Leo (Cam Bike) and Mattia Festuccia (Work Service Coratti) broke away from the group and finished 4th and 5th respectively. Winning the sprint behind them, Francesco Coletta (Mario De Cecco Logistica Ambientale) is 6th overall and best among the first-year riders. A mention for the only girl who finished the competition, the Allieva from Fusion Bike Noemi Fracchiolla.

On the same course as the Esordienti, reduced to five kilometers, but for 12 laps and a total of 60 kilometers soaked by sudden downpours, Masters of every category and origin gave life to the Liberazione Amatori: Marco Bernardinetti (Nuova Ciclisti Forano) repeats last year's success. These are the regional champions of each category: Rossano Mauti Elite, Bernardinetti himself M1, Kristian Settimi M2, Fabio Orcame M3, Americo Mazzeo M4, Luisiano Cannizzaro M5, Paolo Casconi M6, Stefano Colagè M7.

At the following LINK a set of photos from the Amateurs' race by our official photographer Simone Lombi, author of all the other shots you see here on the site and on the Gran Premio Liberazione social channels

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pClPPY-DrAyfv53PARO8fThWIBoF3vDV?usp=drive_link