Both Dario Igor Belletta and Simone Gualdi have experienced the thrill of wearing the national jersey and know exactly what it means. This had happened to both of them in the Junior category, to the first in 2022 and to the other the following year, two moments deeply etched in their athletic history. Yesterday in Darfo, they came close to claiming the Under 23 title, but Alessandro Borgo was stronger and managed to dominate an almost elimination-style race. Exhausted by the heat and fatigue after the finish, they sat on the asphalt, one on one side, the other on the other, and as they would later explain, their disappointment was great. They both knew they could have done something different, but that's how it went.

Dario, second on the podium, is twenty-one years old and rides for Solme Olmo, while Simone, third, is just a year younger and will move up to the pro ranks with the World Tour team Intermarchè Wanty Gobert next season. In the hectic final moments of the race, they were among the few to resist the numerous day's difficulties while the group gradually lost more and more riders. Both Belletta and Gualdi were convinced that Alessandro Borgo would wait for the sprint, relying on his great speed. "We knew it would be a tough race, almost like a classic, but in the end, it turned into an elimination race. Every time I looked around, there were fewer and fewer guys. At one point, we were about twenty, then ten, and in the end, only four. When we entered the last kilometer, we all looked at each other. We knew Borgo was the fastest in the sprint and would wait for it, but instead, he anticipated everyone. Needless to say, he completely surprised us. It's crazy to see how four and a half hours of racing were decided in a second," Belletta explains, who, like Gualdi, was caught off guard by the attack from the Team Bahrain development selection athlete.

For Dario Igor Belletta, the Italian championship was an excellent platform to showcase himself, but especially to test himself. In 2021, he had raced the Junior category national championship in Darfo, and the course was very similar - he remembered it well. It was like a small classic that suited his characteristics perfectly. "I knew the course and believed it suited my characteristics very well," Belletta continues. "I was calm at the start and knew I had to try. From the Giro Next Gen, I came out satisfied. I tried to attack on various occasions, but unfortunately, there were no stages suitable for someone like me who excels in northern races. Racing for eight days under scorching sun also helped me get used to the heat. In Darfo, the race was atrocious. I'm also happy with my performance in Thursday's time trial - a good tenth place that confirmed I've been working well."

Simone Gualdi, on the other hand, is more of a climber. From the first races of 2025, he has shown good legs and the ability to compete among professionals, such as at the Trofeo Laigueglia where he made the top ten, just as an example. "It's a great season of growth, and at the Italian championships, I hoped to do well. I was racing near home and knew the roads. The course was tough, with many climbs, but you had to be careful of classics riders because it was also very suitable for them. I'm sorry I only finished third, but the race gave me a lot of confidence and a boost for upcoming events. I was counting a lot on the Giro, unfortunately, it didn't go as well as I hoped, but these things happen. You always have to restart. I leave the Italian championships with more awareness and am now ready to tackle the second part of the season," Simone explains. He had hoped to make his mark in the Under 23 Giro, especially in the Maniva stage that arrived in his home area. The victory hasn't arrived yet, but the young Wanty Nippo Reuz athlete is confirming that his future in the top category is more than promising.

In Darfo, it's time for the awards, and both Dario and Simone congratulate Alessandro, who, as they themselves tell us, is a friend before being a rival. The emotion is palpable when the second and third-place medals shine on their chests. With this national championship archived, it will be time to move on. Gualdi will be at the start of the Valle d'Aosta Tour, while Belletta will already be racing tomorrow at the Brescia City Trophy before returning to train on the track where he has already won a world title among juniors.