Everything is ready for the 23rd Marco Pantani Memorial, which tomorrow, Saturday, September 12th, will once again bring elite professional cycling to the roads of Romagna.

The 2026 edition will feature one of the main innovations of recent years, with the start from Riccione and the traditional finish in Cesenatico: a journey through Marco Pantani's homeland, from the Riviera to the Romagna hills and back towards the sea, along the roads that accompanied the life and career of the Romagna champion.

The organization is entrusted to the Emilia Sports Group, thanks to the established collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Panathlon Club Cesena and the support of institutions and partners who, year after year, contribute to the growth of the event.

In 2026 as well, the Marco Pantani Memorial will be a race of the Coppa Italia delle Regioni, adding further technical and competitive value to an event that maintains its own special identity, in which great cycling, territorial promotion and memory have intertwined for over twenty years.

The start is scheduled for 11:45 AM. There are 172 registered riders, representing 25 teams, with participation of the highest international level.

Among the most anticipated riders is Australian Michael Storer, winner in Cesenatico a year ago, while Bahrain Victorious will field, among others, Slovenian Matej Mohorič and Italians Antonio Tiberi and Damiano Caruso.

The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe lineup is also of great caliber, with Jai Hindley, Florian Lipowitz, Adrien Boichis and Giulio Pellizzari, while riders to watch will also include Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin, starting with Netcompany INEOS, and the UAE Team Emirates XRG men Jan Christen, Benoit Cosnefroy and António Morgado.

The Italian contingent can also count on riders such as Davide Ballerini, Christian Scaroni and Simone Velasco of XDS Astana Team, while among other notable international names are Alex Aranburu and Ion Izagirre of Cofidis, Ben O'Connor of Team Jayko Alula and French national champion Romain Gregoire of Groupama – FDJ United.

A ROUTE THROUGH THE HEART OF ROMAGNA

After approximately 9 kilometers of controlled-pace transfer, the race will immediately enter the Romagna hinterland with a long first section characterized by hilly roads and continuous changes of pace.

Riders will pass through Verucchio before tackling the Passo del Grillo and the Gorolo climb, both counting towards the Mountain Classification; they will then cross Sogliano al Rubicone to reach the technical heart of the race: the Longiano-Roncofreddo circuit.

The most spectacular and selective point will be the wall of Via Felloniche, 1.6 kilometers at 9.5% average gradient, with the first 500 meters at 14% and peaks of 18%. This ascent will be tackled four times and could represent the ideal springboard for decisive attacks.

The climb towards Roncofreddo, 2.7 kilometers at 7.1%, will make the circuit even more demanding, inserted in a continuous alternation of climbs, descents and narrow roads.

After the third complete lap, at kilometer 152.1, the race will leave the hills to head towards the sea. There will be just over twenty fast kilometers heading towards Cesenatico, where the wind could play an important role in the confrontation between potential attackers and pursuers.

Then one of the most emotional and symbolic moments of the day: the passage in front of the house that was Marco Pantani's, before entering Cesenatico.

At the first crossing of the finish line will remain the traditional four laps of 5 kilometers of the city circuit, before the finish line that will crown the winner of the 23rd edition.

As always, tuttobiciweb will tell you the race live from the first pedal stroke, then the images will be broadcast on RaiPlay and on the Professional Cycling League YouTube channel from 3:00 PM and, on a delayed basis, on Raisport from 5:00 PM.

in the attached pdf, the list of registered riders