Elisa Balsamo and Giulio Ciccone, two of the most prominent faces of Italian cycling, have confirmed their participation in the second edition of the "Semana Grande" of Gran Canaria 365, which will be held on the island from November 21st to 28th.

Balsamo returns to the island after taking part in the inaugural edition of the initiative last year, while for Ciccone this is his first participation. The event will once again bring together leading cyclists from the international professional cycling scene. The presence of the two athletes further strengthens the bond between Gran Canaria and Italy, one of the fastest-growing tourist markets for the island.

In 2025, the Italian market recorded a 24% increase in the number of travelers to Gran Canaria, confirming itself as one of the priority markets for the local tourism board, Turismo de Gran Canaria.

Elisa Balsamo's return comes at a particularly brilliant phase of her career. In 2026 she has achieved excellent results, winning four stages at the Giro d'Italia and securing second place in the overall classification of the Tour de Pologne. More recently, she won the silver medal in the team pursuit at the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai.

Giulio Ciccone, for his part, arrives on the island with an impressive palmares in the Grand Tours. Among his achievements are mountain stage victories at the 2023 Tour de France, as well as stage wins at the Giro d'Italia, both in the 2019 edition and in the one held at the beginning of this season. More recently, he won the silver medal at the European Road Championships, following a closely contested sprint against Remco Evenepoel.

Joining Balsamo and Ciccone will be two other talents of Italian cycling: Fausto Masnada and Gianmarco Garofoli. Masnada is an experienced rider and climbing specialist, whose palmares includes a stage victory at the 2019 Giro d'Italia. Garofoli, for his part, has distinguished himself for his performances at the Giro d'Italia and for second place in the overall classification of the 2026 Giro di Sardegna. The inclusion of these four Italian cyclists strengthens the commitment at the heart of "Gran Canaria 365", an initiative created by DG Eventos and promoted by Turismo de Gran Canaria through "Gran Canaria Tri Bike & Run". The objective is to establish the island as an international reference destination for cycling and training throughout the year. 

Gran Canaria 365 will also bring together numerous talents from international cycling, including Maxim Van Gils, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Jakob Omrzel, Leo Bisiaux, Paula Blasi, Igor Arrieta, Mathias Vacek, Afonso Eulalio and Adrià Pericas. The participation of athletes from different countries confirms the international dimension of the initiative and offers an important opportunity to promote the island to an increasingly wide audience.

For further information, you can visit the official website: www.grancanaria365.eu.