One of October’s most charming races takes place this Saturday.
Bologna is known for many things. It’s home to the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, which played a major role during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and where Umberto Eco, one of the 20th century's most influential semioticians, taught for more than four decades. It’s the place where the first ever Giro d’Italia stage concluded, in 1909, a city defined by its stunning medieval architecture as well as its fantastic gastronomy. Last but not least, it’s host to one of the most beautiful and exciting finishes in cycling, the famous San Luca climb, where the winner of the Giro dell’Emilia is crowned.
Created more than a century ago, it’s been won by some incredible riders over the years, from Costante Girardengo and Fausto Coppi to Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, and this weekend there should be another spectacular battle between those determined to add their name to the roll of honor. The race, 197.9 kilometers in length, will once again feature its famous finale consisting of five laps of the circuit built around the ascent to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, where the gradients reach and exceed double digits.
Steff Cras, Gianmarco Garofoli, Mikel Landa - who soloed to an emotional victory on the penultimate stage of La Vuelta - Andrea Raccagni, Tour de Luxembourg stage winner Pepijn Reinderink, Mauri Vansevenant, and former Italian Champion Filippo Zana are the seven Soudal Quick-Step riders who will take on the 109th edition of the Italian race.
“Emilia is one of October’s most demanding one-day races. The San Luca will really take its toll on the peloton with each ascent and make an important selection by the time we climb it for the last time. We’ve had some good results there in the past and we aim to be protagonists again with this strong team. The riders have shown their solid form in the last couple of weeks and that gives us confidence we can do something nice on Saturday”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
