The content of considerable prestige, an Italian time trial championship for youth categories and elite women, pairs perfectly with a special venue when it comes to two wheels, not only in Piedmont.

Indeed, because Piasco, which dons the tricolor and chooses who will wear the tricolor in 2027, fully deserves the title of "Coverciano of Piedmont cycling", among riders who passed through here (Elisa Balsamo and local Pietro Mattio) on their path to professionalism, without downplaying the lasting organizational dimension (there's even a bike park), quite the opposite.

"For us it's an enormous source of pride to host the Italian Championships - declares Esperia Piasco president Bruno Salvatico -. We've worked with commitment and passion, in truly tight timeframes, but with the strength of our group and the support of the territory we've built an event that best represents our club and our valley."

Supporting the Saluzzese club, the proven Extragiro Race by Marco Selleri returns to Granda Province, fresh from organizing the men's elite Italian championship. Saturday morning, at the "Municipal Palace in Piazza Martiri della Liberazione, the traditional quiet of an autumn day will be interrupted by the first license verification operations ahead of the 12 o'clock start for Youth M/F and Junior Women. These will be races that in no way escape the atmosphere of sadness that has gripped the town and the entire cycling community in recent days: "the cycling community of Piasco and the entire territory has been shaken by the tragic passing of Claudio Mattio, a historic figure deeply loved by all. The pain is great and shared by all of us. For him, for what he represented and for the indelible mark he left in our world, we commit ourselves to giving our all in the preparation and execution of this event"" emphasizes the organization.

The locality that owes part of its fame also to harp production has a mayor, Stefania Dalmasso (wife of former professional Micula Dematteis), whose greeting to the riders joins the strong emphasis on the role played over these 54 years by Esperia, thanked by federal president Cordiano Dagnoni (and FCI Piedmont president Massimo Rosso): "In the commitment of the management group I recognize a sincere expression of love and affection towards the entire movement. Thanks to such availability it was possible to offer the best specialists the opportunity to conquer the tricolor jersey, in a discipline in which Italy has become a world reference point, also thanks to the achievements of a great Piedmontese like Filippo Ganna".

Speaking of which: at the gates of Val Varaita another star of regional and world cycling, Elisa Longo Borghini is ready to launch her assault on yet another conquest of a national time trial title, under the eyes of her husband Jacopo Mosca, who raced as a debutant and youth rider with Piasco's blue and orange jersey. The Pinerolo native has already said it and reiterated: "if Elisa is racing I'm there as a supporter and that's it". A way to sidestep any conflict of interest, just days after hanging up his bike, ready to become sports director for Lidl Trek. Personally, given the friendship that binds him to Salvatico and his group, Jacopo closes a circle...