One could call it an out-of-season exoticism, the awarding of so many tricolor jerseys, seven of them, on October 24th, but it really must be said: better late than never.

The beautiful and well-attended Italian championships event assigns an almost predictable role in the ceremony to Elisa Longo Borghini, winner in her Piedmont region, capping off a year that has given her a podium finish at the Tour and the recent World Championships, at least when it comes to road races. The Ossolana rider descended from Ornavasso to the municipality of Esperia, the organizing society that proudly took on the burden and honor in collaboration with Extra Giro Race. A host location that honored the memory of Claudio Mattio, a prominent figure in the cycling world, who tragically passed away in recent days.

Let's list them: junior rider Samuele Matteini, the Cuneo native Nicole Bracco, Maria Acuti among junior women, Kevin Pezzo Rosola with 25"43 ahead of the other name on the starting list, Enrico Balliana. Like puzzle pieces, the tricolor jerseys fit together in the center of the small Saluzzo town, where the fruit orchard plains give way to the valley leading to Colle dell'Agnello (and also to Colletta di Rossana) ennobled by the passage of the 2025 Vuelta.

In the under-23 race, the announcer also mentions Thomas Bernardi, a son of Val Varaita, the young man from Sampeyre who climbed the podium at the Europeans. It quickly becomes clear that Ineos Academy will dominate, with Milesi ahead of Frigo at the first checkpoint. The World Vice-Champion, not satisfied with his success at the Chrono des Nations, has set his sights on the jersey he won't be able to wear in 2027, since he has announced his move to the World Tour. No matter for Nicholas, who had narrowly missed the Italian time trial championship title in the previous four years. His veni, vidi, vici is quite respectable.

"I knew I was in good shape, I won't be able to honor the tricolor jersey next year, but I'm happy to close such an important experience with Ineos Academy this way" - he says under the eyes of Dario Cioni. A celebration that deserved to include the Asti native Roberto Capello, separated by just 17 hundredths from Frigo's third place (behind the excellent Davide Basso). The finishes follow one another and the crowd flows in from various points along the course. Here comes Jacopo Mosca in the finish area, where we saw him chatting with his new teammate Davide Bramati, and there must be a reason why the recently retired rider looks toward the final straightaway: announced in the lead already after the very first pedal strokes, there's Longo Borghini, at her fifteenth tricolor title in her career, and excuse me if that's not much: it's been a very long season, more than satisfactory and without particular reason for regret about what could have been and wasn't. I got what I deserved. And now I'm enjoying a bit of rest" she recounts after a photo with Giada Silo, also in UAE Team Emirates kit, although for the occasion - very happily - wearing the white, red and green.

Before the curtain falls, here comes a beaming Stefania Dalmasso, mayor of what has been happily defined as the Coverciano of Piedmont cycling: "until a few days ago it was unforeseeable to imagine an event like this, when at ten o'clock at night I received the phone call asking if I was available to host the Italian championships I said yes wholeheartedly. I already knew before, and even more so today, how much Esperia Piasco is a guarantee in terms of organization".