Among the continental championships, the Italian road race nationals are always among the most hotly-contested. Italy, like Belgium and the Netherlands, has a deep enough pool of talent and (at least nominally) full-time racers to ensure a real battle for the country’s champion’s jersey.
One quick look down the roll of honour over the years proves the quality of riders to have triumphed: Michela Fanini, Alessandra Cappellotto, Fabiana Luperini and Noemi Cantele. Factor in those who’ve never won such as Giorgia Bronzini, Elisa Longo Borghini and Marta Bastianelli, for example, and you can see how tough the competition can be.
Route
The 2017 race starts on Via Lombardore in the Piedmont town of Leinì and heads north for 90 kilometers, first of all towards a big climb at Castelnuovo Nigra. This hill starts out in Castellamonte San Rocca and gains 500 meters in 12 kilometers, topping out in Moris, with a maximum gradient of 11%. It’s too early, surely, and too far from the finish to be ultra-decisive, but those riders with enough team-mates to form a coherent plan might just be looking to send emissaries up the road ahead of the finale.
Racing then takes in a short loop south to Baldissero, and then east to Strambino and out to Azeglio and Bolenga and to the finish town of Ivrea.
The riders then have one 21-kilometer loop, counter-clockwise which climbs for the first seven kilometres up to La Serra. This steepening staircase bites hardest at the top, hitting 15% and is the ideal launchpad for a winning attack, before plunging down (including a short tunnel) to Borgofranco di Ivrea, and then a more-or-less flat run to the finish back in Ivrea.
The last kilometer has one big left-hander at 650 meters to go, and a short paved section, and a left-right dog-leg at 250 meters to go.
Contenders
The World Tour professionals are the bigger favorites, and it is hard not to think of someone like Elisa Longo Borghini. The Wiggle-High 5 rider had a solid OVO Energy Women’s Tour, and is recovering form and fitness after recent health issues. She had a couple of great spring rides including a triumph at Strade Bianche and buried herself for her team-mates on many subsequent weekends. She is due another shot at the tricolore missing from her collection, and is on fire after taking a third national TT title this week.
Defending champion Elena Cecchini is another top tip, having won three in a row, and she is more than just a fast finisher. The only other former national road champion is 2013 surprise winner Dalia Muccioli (Valcar PBM), who has not quite lived up to the hype generated after that win. However, with two climbs on the course, just maybe she can pull out another big day.
Cyclance’s Rosella Ratto is another former medallist who could do well on this course, having taken a World Championship medal on a tough course in Ponferrada back in 2014, while her trade team-mate Marta Tagliaferro might fancy a crack at a course like this even if it might not necessarily be designed for her.
Lensworld-Kuota are likely to show up mobhanded with the likes of Alice Maria Arzuffi, Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Annalisa Cucinotta and Tatiana Guderzo (who has twice won road race medals but not the tricolore, even if she’s won the national TT a staggering five times).
Anna Trevisi was on the attack at the OVO Energy Women’s Tour and will represent Alé Cipollini alongside Marta Bastianelli. Other contenders include last year’s third-place finisher Anna Zita Maria Stricker (BTC City Ljubljana) and Hitec Products’ Simona Frapporti.
The other Italian-based elite teams are likely to relish the chance to make numbers count, so we can expect to see Aromitalia Vaiano, BePink-Cogeas, Giusfredi-Bianchi, SC Michela Fanini and Top Girls Fassa Bortolo all sticking their oars in.
Whoever wins will have earned their green-white-and-red stripes the hard way come Sunday.