Climber wanted for the National Team and CT Marino Amadori will be on Saturday at the Giro della Valle d'Aosta starting tomorrow from Passy, France, with a time trial climb that aims to sort out those who want to race: 10.5 km with double-digit gradients, a positive elevation gain of approximately 700 meters and reaching an altitude of 1,324 meters.

«There is still one spot available for the Tour de l'Avenir», says Amadori. The French race will take place from August 20-26. At least on paper the National Team is ready, if it weren't for that last important piece and one could say it's not easy to find today a climber who is up to the international level.

Amadori lists the riders who are 99.9% certain. «Lorello, Cattani, Arrighetti, Anastasia and Bozzola» all people who have performed very well throughout the season. The Aosta Valley test is therefore particularly important. «Not only to complete the roster, but also because at the start there will be many first-year riders present in the Devo teams», says the CT. These are riders born in 2007 and many did not participate in the Giro Next Gen for school reasons. This Aosta Valley as a talent forge? The hunt is on. «For these very young riders it will be a wonderful experience - says Amadori -. I'm keeping an eye on them, especially since we didn't have great results at the Giro Next Gen».

All things considered, the field available to the CT is limited, as he cannot draw on those athletes who will be in France, yes, but wearing the Devo team jerseys in which they race. So excluded are Giacomo Serangeli of Hagens, Giacomo Rosato of Bahrain, Mattia Proietti Gagliardoni of Movistar, all three present here at Aosta Valley where for example PicNic of riders born in 2007 has brought even three out of five: Jacobs Lennes, Matthew Peace and Finn O'Brien. Extra attention therefore, Amadori will focus on «Mattia Ballerini, Tommaso Bosio and Tommaso Quaglia».

Continental vs Devo, the question arises. «From an economic standpoint the ratio is 10:1, the Devo teams are very well-equipped and organized and on a smaller scale have everything that World Tour teams have. The riders are encouraged to go and the agents are too. However, I am convinced that a rider risks a lot if he is not 100% ready».

The Aosta Valley test also opens the door to the Canadian World Championships, studied very carefully «thanks to technology and the U23 course has little flat terrain. We need endurance riders with explosive characteristics».

Meanwhile, is Amadori thinking of calling up U23 world champion Lorenzo Finn? «Lorenzo can choose whether to compete in the U23 World Championships or the elite one. After the Avenir we will talk and decide together with CT Roberto Amadio. It's right that he gains experience one step at a time. He has already won two World Championships, Juniors and U23. Let's see where his development is at».

And Amadio has already expressed his desire to have Finn as the leader for the Europeans which will take place in Slovenia in October, one week after the Canadian World Championships.

Meanwhile, at the race headquarters of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta, in the municipality of Saint-Christophe, 3 km from the capital, everyone has arrived: timekeepers, jury, relay teams, photographers, journalists, sports directors and also Etienne Grimod, fresh from the bronze and gold medals won on the track in Germany. The Solme Olmo cyclist, a true Aosta Valley native like the fontina cheese, really cares about doing well among his people and says «I hope to be there at Cervinia», that is the final stage on Sunday, just under one hundred km with gradients at 14%. A year ago the Aosta Valley flag was carried by Filippo Agostinacchio, winner of the first stage and today Italian gravel champion. Grimod meanwhile, jokes about the times, «I'm not a climber and if I finish the Giro half an hour behind the winner I'll be happy».

His goal is elsewhere, overseas, he's thinking about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Meanwhile, tomorrow the weather looks like it will be harsh, rain is forecast.

The list of starters is missing a number, 57, which has been withdrawn to honor and remember Samuele Privitera, who died in a race a year ago and to whom the organizers of the Aosta Valley have dedicated a Memorial, a trophy that will go to the athlete who achieves the best feat.

THE STARTERS

Lotto - Groupe Wanty
1. DONIE Milan
2. DRIESEN Niels
3. MARIVOET Duarte
4. TOUSSAINT Wouter

Bahrain Victorious Development Team
6. BORREMANS Kasper
7. DE GENDT Leander
8. FELDHOFFER Balint
9. ROSATO Giacomo
10. BASSO Santiago

Caja Rural - Alea
11. GAMEZ Sergio
12. AGUILERA Nil
13. BEUKES Cronje
14. HERNANDEZ Jan
15. REGADA Adria

Development Team Picnic PostNL
16. JACOBS Lennes
17. PEACE Matthew
18. SUMPIK Pavel
19. O'BRIEN Finn
20. VLOT Mees

Hagens Berman Jayco
21. GAFFNEY David
22. GORDGE Kieran
23. MANION Vinnie
24. RAFFERTY Adam
25. SERANGELI Giacomo

Lidl - Trek Future Racing
26. BESSEGA Andrea
27. VANDEN EYNDE Mats
28. FRYDKJAER Patrick Boje
29. O'BRIEN Liam
30. BENZ Benedikt

Movistar Team Academy
31. CASTRO Sebastian
32. CUBILLAS Javier
33. NOVAK Filip
34. POMBO Tomas
35. PROIETTI GAGLIARDONI Mattia

NSN Development Team
36. CASEY Patrick
37. EDINGER Roei
38. MORIN Ben
39. NIELSEN Emil Nymand
40. PERETZ HERDEVALL Matar

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies
41. MOLLER ANDERSEN Noah Lindholm
42. BLANC Gustave
43. BOCK Max
44. CLEMMENSEN Theodor August
45. FRIEDL Anatol

Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team
46. CISNEROS Jose Said
47. ZAFRA Marc
48. BRAVO Henrique
49. DE CLERCQ Mathijs
50. SERVRANCKX Gauthier

UAE Team Emirates Gen Z
51. DIJKMAN Daan
52. FABRIES Ugo
53. TORRES Pablo
54. SAMBINELLO Enea
55. TORRES Jaime

AVC Aix Provence Dole
61. BROOKES Joseph
62. LAYRAC Gabriel
63. LIGHTFOOT Mark
65. SMITH Adam

Biesse - Carrera - Premac
66. LEALI Stefano
67. SANFILIPPO Cristian
68. TRAVELLA Nicholas
69. DOGNINI Matteo
70. ZUMSTEG Nicola

Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme
71. BUCK JONES Huw
72. HOWELL Adam
73. HARDY LAINE Axel
74. JORGE Edgar
75. LIMA Daniel

Campana Imballagi - Morbiato - Trentino
76. BUSANELLO Roberto
77. AVI Alessandro
78. VOLPATO Leonardo
79. REVESZ Adam
80. PIFFER Christian

General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia
81. BIEHL Kevin
82. BOSIO Tommaso
83. COBALCHINI Andrea
84. NEMBRINI Diego
85. REMELLI Cristian

Metec - SOLARWATT p/b Mantel
86. NAGENGAST Ruud Junior
87. GAL Ryan
88. HAYMA Karst
89. VAN VLIET Michiel
90. HAVERDINGS Floris

S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank
91. QUAGLIA Tommaso
92. BERTONCELLI Kevin
93. PIGNATTI Jacopo
94. SCOFET Matteo
95. MASCIARELLI Stefano

Solme - Olmo - Arvedi
96. GRIMOD Etienne
97. MORLINO Luca
98. UDERZO Riccardo
99. SAVOLDINI Massimo
100. CASELLI Armin

Team Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna Caffè Borbone
101. BALLERINI Mattia
102. CATTANI Alessandro
103. ARCHETTI Riccardo
104. PIZZI Nicolo'
105. PALTRINIERI Matteo

Tirol KTM Cycling Team
106. VIEHBOCK Paul
107. GINTER Nicolas
108. HOLZKNECHT Jonas
109. NOVAK Samuel
110. RIGBY Monty

Team 74 - Haute-Savoie
111. DEROUAULT Baptiste
112. BLANCHET Alexandre
113. EVANS Toby
114. DELERCE Thibault
115. GUERINEL Mathis

UC Monaco
116. BASARABA Mykhailo
117. ESTUPINAN Kevin Andres
118. BOARER Ollie
119. BARCELO Jaume
120. BALLESTEROS Pol

Velo Club Mendrisio
121. MARTINOLI Valerio
122. RUGGIERO Matteo Pio
123. PIVA Matteo
124. ZUMSTEIN Melk
125. BONALDA Alessandro