In his career as a rider, Daniele Bennati was never a big mountain type, although exactly twenty years ago, in 2006, he managed to win a stage of the race from which the Tour of the Alps inherited its legacy, the Giro del Trentino. The former Arezzo sprinter won at the finish line in Arco, a stage city of the 49th edition of the euro-regional event (20-24 April) and home to Sport Alto Garda; in subsequent years he would raise his arms in all three Grand Tours and on the prestigious finish line of the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

An important wealth of experience, that matured by Daniele Bennati in the world of cycling: first as a world-class sprinter, then as a team player and, once hanging up his helmet, as CT of the Italian National Team from 2021 to 2024. A path that allows him to read and analyze even the most unpredictable races, like the Tour of the Alps, for which from this edition he plays the role of ambassador.

Bennati is the protagonist of the series of five video-reconnaissance of the Tour of the Alps. The first episode, online starting from this afternoon, Thursday, January 15th, will be dedicated to the inaugural stage of 141.8 Km with start and finish in Innsbruck, Tyrol.

The videos will be published weekly on the official YouTube channel of the Tour of the Alps, with subtitles in Italian, English and German, and relaunched on the Instagram, Facebook, X and on the tourofthealps.eu website

From the reconnaissance of the inaugural stage in Innsbruck to the final epilogue, Bennati will accompany enthusiasts and insiders in discovering a route faithful to the DNA of the Tour of the Alps: short stages, demanding altimetry and transfers reduced to a minimum. A route that crosses Tyrol, Alto Adige and Trentino, touching the three capitals Innsbruck, Bolzano and Trento, designed to keep the challenge open until the last day, in an edition that celebrates the tenth anniversary of the memorandum of understanding that sanctioned the birth of the euro-regional project.

"The Tour of the Alps route looks really exciting," commented Daniele Bennati. - "It fully respects the tradition of the race: stages not too long, but often particularly challenging. In terms of the general classification, I believe the key moments will be the uphill finish in Val Martello and the last stage, short but extremely tough, with the double final climb of Montoppio before the descent towards Bolzano."

"Certainly the first stage is the simplest, but at the same time will be beautiful and have a special flavor. In 2018, in Innsbruck, Alejandro Valverde became World Champion, while, on the occasion of the finish in Trento, at the end of the fourth stage, the victory of Sonny Colbrelli at the 2021 European Championships will come to mind. The third stage with a finish in Arco also looks very challenging, even if the most important climbs are positioned a bit far from the finish line."

"A high-level edition is expected: great riders will be at the start, many of whom we will then see protagonists at the Giro d'Italia. For this reason, I am truly very happy and proud to be the testimonial of this event," Bennati concluded.