The communication campaign of theAdriatica Ionica Race This year follows the path traced by Tour of Italy: The stages are presented sparingly, to give each one the right emphasis and maintain attention. For now, three have been presented, the last two are missing and will take place in the Marche, but in the meantime its creator Moreno Argentine takes stock of the history written so far, with many ambitions on the horizon.
The years pass, but there's no doubt that Argentin remains the same young man he once was, with that desire to amaze and throw himself into the fray that made cycling history. When you talk to him about the race, it truly feels like you're speaking to a representative of the new generation: "We move mainly through social media, we know that it is thanks to them that we reach people., so we are rationing the presentations of the stages by going through them and we already have comforting results"
These are not classic presentations…
I involved some local cycling personalities, long-time friends of mine such as Martinello, Cassani, BallanEveryone presents the stages that involve their areas as a true testimonial and tester, we shoot clips that tell the stages not only from a technical point of view, but also to make it clear where we pedal because our mission is to give the Adriatica Ionica Race an image that goes beyond pure competitiveness.
It almost seems like a discussion more related to amateur rather than professional events…
Professionals do their job, but they can also be protagonists of something that goes beyond. We want to promote the area, show a beautiful image of Italy and the areas we pass through., promoting tourism to get people to cycle on those roads all year round. Above all, we want people to understand where they're cycling; it's an important concept.
Each stage represents a region.
We'll start in Friuli, then move on to Veneto and Romagna, and the last two stages, yet to be announced, will be in the Marche. We wanted to reach Abruzzo, but that wasn't possible. My dream is to embrace the entire Adriatic coast, all the way to Puglia., but to do so we would need more days, at least 7 stages and at the moment this is not feasible considering the already too crowded calendar.
It's a path that changes constantly...
Every year we offer something different. For example, this year we decided not to include dirt roads, which had been a bit of our trademark., but we've still worked a lot on the routes from two points of view: to make them a sort of hypothesis of cycling routes to be used all year round and, on the other hand, to make them technically attractive for the riders, who will find themselves tackling stages with somewhat steeper finishes.
You mentioned the possibility of expanding to other regions: what prevented you from doing so?
We'll be able to do it when the race gets promoted, becoming a Pro race or, even better, a WorldTour race, but it takes time. We're growing gradually, we're building our skills based on our potential. After four editions, we definitely feel ready to move up, but we know it's not easy. For that to happen, for the UCI to take you into consideration, you need the right support. It's not even a question of money or proven financial stability; you really need someone inside to push for the race to be properly positioned. From a political point of view, we have lost a lot of ground, that's undeniable, and then the League, the FCI, and the Italian members of the UCI argue instead of collaborating, you achieve little...
Would an Italian team in the WorldTour help in this regard?
Hugely. Everything would be easier because it would have a pervasive effect. We invite all the WorldTour teams, but in the same period of the race (4-8 June, ed.) there is the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Brussels Classic, the Tour of LimburgIf team sponsors have a stronger market in those areas, they'll clearly want the teams to race there, and we'll be penalized. Then there's the issue of points: road races award more points than stage races, despite requiring less effort, so this is also a factor to consider.
Let's get to the technical aspect, starting with the stage in Friuli...
It's a stage for sprinters, it goes from Tarvisio to Monfalcone, a first contact for the teams across 189 kilometers, even if they will always have to be careful of some surprises.
Second fraction in Veneto.
Here is an absolute first, from Castelfranco Veneto to Monte Grappa over 155 kilometers, but the mountain will be tackled from the Belluno side, a route rarely attempted before. We must thank the commitment of the 14 municipalities involved; these are roads unknown to most. A short stage, but with a full 27 kilometers of climbing, it will be a pure spectacle.
Third stage still for sprinters?
I would not say. It goes from Ferrara to Brisighella on 139 kilometers, it is a lively fraction, with a flat start, but then offers short but challenging climbs, which will certainly influence the ranking.
The part still remains "covered", in the Marche...
I can only say that they will be two very different fractions, which will still be able to say a lot in terms of the evolution of the race, but which will also give new space to sprinters.
Are you satisfied with the choice to compete in the first ten days of June?
I don't think it's the ideal time, given the concurrent circumstances I mentioned earlier, but we have to communicate the dates by the end of December and there was no other option. If we want to grow as we want, we'll have to find other spaces, but we'll take care of that from June 9th onwards...
