The Franco Ballerini Bari Cycling School summarizes an intense cycling activity focused on young riders, beginners, and juniors, along with special needs athletes and athletes with disabilities. For over 15 years, this cycling organization, recognized nationally, has been operating in the name of a cycling legend: Franco Ballerini, national professional team coach and two-time Paris-Roubaix winner.

In an atmosphere of vibrant enthusiasm, the School continues to support the youngest riders and athletes with disabilities, who are protagonists on two wheels in a project that unites inclusion and sport in the heart of Bari's San Paolo neighborhood, where the Bike Park "no one excluded" is located.

With their diversity, abilities, and personal characteristics, all athletes participated in activities proposed by the instructors collaborating with the mastermind Giuseppe Marzano. In this context, diversities transformed into resources, discovering talents, promoting equal opportunities and empathy, without ever neglecting the value of a training and personal growth path.

"Many other sports are just games, but cycling is hard work. You have fun, but you must work hard. Remember one rule: hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard." This is the message from the President of the Italian Cycling Federation, Cordiano Dagnoni, who visited the cycling school during the new team presentation before the Christmas holidays.

Among the most significant results of 2025 with young riders under 13, the school achieved fifth place in the FCI Puglia Regional Meeting ranking for societies, second place in the autumn Bike Kids Challenge circuit, and the spring-summer ChicchiriBike circuit.

The true highlight is represented by athlete riders with intellectual and relational disabilities who, for some years now, have been obtaining significant recognition. Among these, Damiana Raffaele has confirmed herself as Italian champion for the second consecutive year at the FISDIR-FCI FAUMCUP Italian Cycling Championships in Iseo, and also in the national time trial held in Bari alongside the final stage of the Handbike Tour.

On the events front, "Bari Pedals Without Barriers" was of great appeal along the waterfront of the Apulian capital.

A sports and inclusion event that combined the FISDIR-FCI FAUMCUP Italian Championship - reserved for athletes with intellectual disabilities - and the final of the Handbike Tour, the para-cycling stage competition born in 2009.

Giuseppe Marzano, president of the Franco Ballerini Bari Cycling School, stated: "We are closing a year rich in results with our young riders, but it is also the beginning of new challenges. In 2026, we aim to bring increasingly important events, even at an international level, because inclusion must always be pursued, as well as our strength to move forward and build the future."