One of the excellences of Made in Italy in the world has returned to Expo Osaka 2025 inside the Italian Pavilion, where a forum dedicated to Bike Economy themes was held, addressing the impact of major events on territories, innovation, tourism, and the future of bicycle mobility. The Giro d'Italia, a symbol of Italian sport and excellence, received its official recognition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year for its role as a Sports Diplomacy ambassador worldwide. The heart of the project is the "Giro District", an immersive and multidisciplinary concept that unites the famous Italian cycling tradition with the typical Japanese Keirin culture. This district is not simply an exhibition, but a laboratory of ideas and visions, where the bicycle becomes a symbol of urban and social transformation. Through conferences, installations, institutional moments, and interactive activities, Giro District promotes dialogue between cultures, enhances Made in Italy, and stimulates reflection on how the Corsa Rosa and the Italian cycling industry can be a strategic element for promoting our country.

Inside the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka - where the Trofeo senza Fine of the Giro d'Italia, two jerseys (Pink and Cyclamen signed by Castelli), and some bicycles from Italian manufacturers, including Pinarello (official bike of the Corsa Rosa), were exhibited - a forum on Bike Economy themes was held, discussing the impact of major events on territories and companies, as well as tourism, innovation, and the future of bicycle mobility. The Commissioner General for Italy at Expo Osaka 2025, Mario Vattani, hosted the event.

The event was attended by Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE - Agency for the Promotion Abroad and Internationalization of Italian Enterprises; Paolo Bellino, CEO and General Manager of RCS Sports & Events; Fausto Pinarello, President of Bici Pinarello; Andrea Gentile, Country Manager Japan of Oniverse, and three cycling champions like Vincenzo Nibali, Davide Cassani, and Maurizio Fondriest. The Giro d'Italia's participation, thanks to its increasingly growing internationalization, is an important vehicle for promoting Made in Italy worldwide and emphasizes the role of sport as an instrument of international dialogue and diplomacy. The Corsa Rosa, with its strong roots in the territory and ability to unite people in a collective narrative, thus confirms itself as an ambassador even in a global context like Expo 2025 Osaka. Similarly, Oniverse narrated the existing link between an important Made in Italy brand like IUMAN Intimissimi Uomo, sponsor of the Pink Jersey 2025, and an Italian competition followed worldwide, such as the Giro. Two Italian excellences running together.

Two billion and one hundred million euros. This is the value that the Giro d'Italia brings to territories, estimated by Banca Ifis in its annual report dedicated to the bike economy, a sector that wins worldwide thanks to the excellence of Made in Italy and an event, the Giro d'Italia, which promotes the image of the Italian country system internationally, creating a flywheel of positive spillovers that goes well beyond the last stage's finish line.

STATEMENTS

Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE - Agency for the Promotion Abroad and Internationalization of Italian Enterprises: "In the combined provision between growth diplomacy and sports diplomacy, the Giro d'Italia increasingly lends itself to being an important vehicle for promoting and developing the bicycle sector and supply chain, and not only. During the Giro, we communicate the excellences of Made in Italy production districts to the international audience. We tell the particularities of the territories and with a business forum, we put Italian companies in contact with operators involved in one of the world's most important races. The bike economy represents a leading sector of Made in Italy capable of uniting innovation, design, and sustainability. And the data shows an interesting upward trend, despite a recent period of uncertainty, related to bicycle exports with 357 million sales in the first five months of 2025, equal to a growth of 6.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. In this scenario, Japan, with visibility across all of Asia, confirms itself as a top strategic partner. Although with a not high value but with a 34% increase in Italian bike imports in the first five months of the year. Expo 2025 represents a precious opportunity to give visibility to our companies and consolidate relationships with local buyers and operators, strengthening the commercial bridge with Asia and particularly with Japan, which from January to May this year absorbed over 4 billion in Made in Italy exports. Sport, with its universal language, is a privileged channel of economic and cultural diplomacy capable of making the quality and excellence of Made in Italy known to the world, giving a strong contribution to the increase of our exports. Major events like the Giro d'Italia are unrepeatable opportunities to transform opportunities into concrete results, also thanks to the team play of the Italian System at the basis of the country's growth in international markets".

Paolo Bellino, CEO and General Manager of RCS Sports & Events: "The return of the Giro d'Italia to Expo Osaka 2025 with the Giro District project represents a further step in the internationalization path of our Corsa Rosa. The Giro is a cultural and economic heritage that tells Italy to the world and contributes concretely to the promotion of Made in Italy. The synergy with the Italian Pavilion and with excellence partners allows us to transmit, even in a global context like Expo, the values of innovation and intercultural dialogue that sport can generate. It is a pride to see how the Giro manages to be both rooted in tradition and projected towards the future, becoming an ambassador of sports diplomacy and a development vehicle for the territories and companies of our country".

Fausto Pinarello, President of Bici Pinarello: "I am proud that Pinarello, the official bicycle of the Giro d'Italia, can be a protagonist at Expo Osaka 2025, thanks to ICE, Italian Trade & Investment Agency, and RCS. Our presence represents a concrete commitment to promoting the excellence of Made in Italy and telling the bicycle as a symbol of innovation and sustainability. Pinarello dreams of a world where people choose to move using the best bicycles. An ideal combination where athlete, art, and craftsmanship merge, becoming one, because cycling is not simply a sport, it is a cure for the body, mind, and soul. Participating in the dialogue on major events is a way to strengthen the link between design, sport, tourism, and promote the excellence of the Italian System".