Our correspondents have arrived in Rwanda and are sending us the first images from Kigali, the venue for the cycling world championship starting on Sunday. This morning, our Aldo Peinetti saw the Azzurri depart from the Kigali Delight Hotel, a facility that also hosts the Slovenian national team of Tadej Pogacar, for their first world championship warm-up. Check the video on the tuttoBICI instagram channel.

There's no time difference with Italy and the climate is pleasant. The Azzurri selection has 40 fewer people compared to usual to reduce the costs of a complicated trip estimated to cost around 290,000 euros. Besides the coaches Marco Villa, Marco Velo, Dino Salvoldi and Marino Amadori, there are technical collaborator Mario Scirea, doctor Roberto Corsetti, health collaborator Saul Barzaghi, mechanics Giuseppe Archetti, Flaviano Frugeri, Andrea Foccoli, Tullio Pellicioli, and masseurs Fred Morini, Matteo Canzi and Stefano Cerea.

In total, our team is composed of 43 people, including 27 athletes and 16 staff members, among which are two FCI employees and the cook Tiziano Brichese, himself a former Azzurri cyclist, who found an Italian grocery store in Kigali to stock up on products they couldn't pack in their luggage.

While the time trial riders who arrived today have already started pedaling on the world championship roads, this afternoon a large group of athletes and staff will land at the nearby airport. On the 24th, next Wednesday, the last called-up members will arrive, including the team leaders for the road races Elisa Longo Borghini and Giulio Ciccone.