Success was missed, but Italian cyclists leave the Grand Prix of Ticino for the junior category held in Switzerland with their heads held high. The Swiss race saw our young riders finish at the top of the standings after a tough battle with local athletes. The best result was achieved by Alessio Rossi (photo), representing the Gruppo Sportivo Giovani Giussanesi, who placed fifth in the final sprint won by Swiss national rider Noah Schnyder (fresh from the national track title in the Omnium and vice-champion in Cyclocross) ahead of his compatriot Noah Gremaud (Velo Club Lugano), while Davide Frigerio, from Como's Fagnano Nuova team, took third place. Rossi's performance was excellent, skillfully inserting himself in the final mix after a challenging 78-kilometer race. No less impressive was Cesanese rider Daniele Longoni, from Salus Seregno-De Rosa, who finished seventh, just ahead of Matteo Piva, also from the Giussano team (eighth), with the day's results also including a twelfth place for German rider Nils Bormann. Rounding out the top positions are Mattia Gaffuri (Canturino 1902) in ninth, and Filippo Bellavia (Bustese Olonia) in tenth.

"The race in Ticino has given us our first satisfactions," explains Giussanesi manager Roberto Brenna. "We came close to victory, but unfortunately we encountered stronger athletes, as in the case of the Swiss who fully deserved their success. We secured important placements in the top ten with Rossi and Piva, of whom we are satisfied with the motivation and determination they showed during the race. We are also happy with German rider Bormann, who was always in the thick of the competition".

Salus president Marco Moretto echoes similar sentiments: "It was a good race for our colors, and Longoni had the privilege of finishing ahead with a significant seventh place. The team overall performed well and was visible in the main actions where maximum effort was required. For our first outings, this is good enough".