Everything is ready for the 48^th edition of the Gran Premio Industria & Artigianato di Larciano, a UCI ProSeries category race and part of the Coppa Italia delle Regioni organized by U.C. Larcianese, which today will see some of the biggest names in world cycling at the start. The race covers 196.5 kilometers, with start and finish in the heart of Larciano and 2,513 meters of total elevation gain.

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Among the most prominent names are Tom Pidcock, making his first road race appearance following his world championship success in mountain biking won last Sunday in Val di Sole, Lenny Martinez, returning to competition after finishing fifth at the last Tour de France, and Christian Scaroni, runner-up in last year's edition behind Isaac Del Toro.

XDS Astana Team fields two other names to watch: Diego Ulissi, winner of the 2022 edition and third-place finisher in 2024, and Alberto Bettiol.

The strong presence of UCI WorldTeams, eight in this edition, confirms the exceptionally high level of participation. Among the most anticipated names is Romain Grégoire, seventh at last Sunday's Bretagne Classic won by Alex Aranburu. For both, this will be their first participation in the Gran Premio Industria & Artigianato. Among riders who have already made their mark at Larciano are Andrea Vendrame, third in 2019, and Davide Ballerini, who finished on the podium in third place in the 2018 edition.

Also worth following are Neilson Powless, Michael Storer, Einer Rubio, Jan Christen, Antonio Morgado, Ben O'Connor, Jordan Jegat, Igor Arrieta and Wout Poels. Among the Italians, keep an eye on Antonio Tiberi, Domenico Pozzovivo, Alessandro Fancellu, Samuele Battistella, Filippo Baroncini and Ludovico Crescioli.

The race will be broadcast on Rai Sport from 2:30 PM and streamed on Discovery+ and HBO Max. The race will also be shown on the Professional Cycling League's YouTube channel.

THE ROUTE. The 48th Gran Premio Industria & Artigianato di Larciano features a 196.5-kilometer course with 2,513 meters of elevation gain. The start from Larciano introduces the race into the first loop of 28.4 kilometers, passing through Monsummano Terme before returning to Larciano. This is followed by the Larciano Circuit, 13.7 kilometers to be repeated three times, characterized by predominantly flat terrain.

After 69.5 kilometers, the race will change pace significantly. The Fornello Circuit, 27.3 kilometers long and to be repeated four times, will bring riders to the slopes of Montalbano for the first time. The climb towards Fornello measures approximately 9.6 kilometers from the Lamporecchio reference point, with 300 meters of elevation gain, an average gradient of 3.1% and a maximum section of 14.6%. The passage through Fornello, at an elevation of 237 meters, precedes the continuation towards San Baronto, where the route reaches 348 meters.

This is where the Gran Premio enters its decisive phase: the four passages on the hilly circuit, interspersed with returns to Larciano, could create significant selection. At the end of the final lap of the Fornello Circuit, just over 17 kilometers will remain to the finish line, but the race will not yet have exhausted its difficulties.

The final lap, the Giro Cecina of 17.8 kilometers, represents the true judge of the race. From Larciano, where Cinzia Simonelli will be remembered—for many editions the beating heart of U.C. Larcianese—the route passes through Biccimurri and Cecina, then the road climbs again towards Case al Vento and Mungherino, with double-digit gradients and passage in front of the monument dedicated to the memory of Franco Ballerini, before touching San Baronto once more. The final climb brings the race's highest point to 401 meters, before the descent towards Lamporecchio and the subsequent return to Larciano.

in the attached pdf, the list of registered riders