The Italian season begins in Laigueglia
As has been the tradition since the disappearance of the Gran Premio Costa degli Etruschi in 2017, the Italian cycling calendar begins with the Trofeo Laigueglia. This 1.Pro category race has been held for over sixty years in the surroundings of Laigueglia, a small town on the Ligurian coast, where Milano-Sanremo will pass in a month.
Route
The race route, unchanged since 2019, includes the climbs of Bezzo (2.1 km at 6.2%), Vendone (1.8 km at 5.6%), Cima Paravenna (6.8 km at 5.7%), and Testico (7.2 km at 4.5%) before entering the final circuit, which riders must complete four times. This circuit features the ascents of Colla Micheri (2 km at 8.2%) and Capo Mele (2 km at 3.4%). In total, the race covers 202 km with 3,000 meters of positive elevation gain, making it a race for climbers and resilient puncheurs.
Favorites
Juan Ayuso (1000), Lorenzo Fortunato (400), Diego Ulissi (600), Michał Kwiatkowski (400), Clément Champoussin (400), António Morgado (200), Lorenzo Rota (400), and Axel Laurance (400) are some of the riders best suited to this course among the provisional start list, which is still missing many participants.
Photo: © Trofeo Laigueglia