The "grande partenza" of the Giro d'Italia, from the same Piazza del Castello in Turin, the heart of Savoy, will be the beginning of the return of the Giro to its natural date of May. A return to normality that Gobik two teams in the Corsa Rosa peloton will be wearing theThe return to normality will be a further milestone in the company's history.
UAE Team Emirates y Eolo-Kometa will be part of the caravan of a very special Giro, as it celebrates 160 years of Italian reunification on a 21-stage route that separates the distance between Turin and Milan.
It is a source of great pride, something symbolic for our company," says Gino Dona, Brand Manager for Gobik-. The growth of the brand in Italy is a great objective, we are doing it in a market that understands and loves cycling. Being with two teams in the Giro reinforces the path we started some time ago, increasing brand awareness, generating good contacts and being where we want to be".
Eolothe project from scratch
It is especially exciting to see the Eolo-Kometa at the start. "The Giro is our race, the one we feel the most in Italy. The day they confirmed the invitation was one of the happiest I remember" Ivan Basso explained to us a couple of months ago, when it was confirmed that the blue team would be at the start.
The invitation from Eolo-Kometa blesses the "tip of the icebergThe invitation blesses the "tip of the project that is born from the very root of the Alberto Contador Foundation, putting a horizon in the minds of not a few members of the structure. Between them, "we are talking about 25 staff members and about 40 cyclists," said Basso.
Gobik Basso, who has been a member of the Foundation's teams for three years, has been a direct witness to the structure's progress up to this point. "It's a satisfaction to see them at this point. We've been with them for three seasons and we know the growth they've experienced. Now they are in the Giro d'Italia," says Gino.
"It's a dream," adds Alberto Contador, "to see us there. When we started with the Foundation, we outlined several branches, on the one hand, the help to treat stroke, and at the same time, we thought about the base and the work to improve it. We started with the youth team, then came the U23 team, then with the entry of Kometa, one of the current sponsors, the jump to the continental category and finally the Eolo to go to the Giro d'Italia.
And he adds that "Basso, Fran and I try to manage this structure as best as possible to achieve the objectives. After a lot of work, a lot of sleepless nights, it's very nice to be in a race like this. There was no option to have Spanish sponsors and their Italian sponsorship makes it more appealing to be in the Giro.
This month of May will be busy for Contador: "For me it will be nice. In my case I will continue to commentate on Eurosport and some days in person, there in Italy. To see that race that you're in love with and that your team is there, with our brand of bikes, is exciting".
The eight of Eolo-Kometa in the Giro will consist of Vincenzo Albanese, Edward Ravasi, Francesco Gavazzi, Samuele Rivi, Manuel Belletti, Málton Dina, Lorenzo Fortunato and Mark Christian.
In the same peloton will also ride the UAE Team Emirates eight formed by Davide Formolo, Valerio Conti, Alessandro Covi, Joe Dombrovski, Fernando Gaviria, Juan Sebastián Molano, Max Richeze and Diego Ulissi.
"What do we have to add about this team? -Gino Dona asks. It's dressing up a WorldTour squad, another league. But it's not just another team, it's one of the best, which is very motivating.
GobikHe was a double winner at the Giro d'Italia.
ForThe Notebook ofJoan Follower
Photos Attila Madrona / Fizza Photo
