The big The 2025 Giro d'Italia will start in Albania. It represents a historic event, not only for cycling but for the entire Adriatic region. It's a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on a sport still in its infancy, with small, niche numbers, but one that holds significant potential.
Francesco Frassi, Former coach of the Albanian national team from 2013 to 2016, he guides us through a cycling movement that has enjoyed pioneering experiences and is now looking to the future with renewed enthusiasm.
Movement in its infancy
«Cycling in Albania is still a niche reality – Frassi begins – when I started as technical commissioner, the Federation was made up of just three people and met in the president's office. A size that might make you smile, but it reflected the scarcity of resources and the lack of a cycling tradition.
During his years at the helm of the national team, Frassi faced logistical and organizational challenges that required extraordinary creativity. But perhaps also thanks to these experiences, today he is one of the sporting directors of the Israel Premier TechThanks to the support of private sponsors and the involvement of young Albanians living in Italy, he managed to put together a team at the timeOr perhaps it's better to say a team: a group of young people full of dreams and hopes ready to travel the world between World Cups, European Championships and even the Olympics, like the one in Beijing 2008.
And one of those hopes came true in Florence in 2013. It was a memorable moment for Albanian cycling: the world championship bronze medal in the junior category arrived with Iltjan Nika.
«That medal – says Frassi – was a historic event for Albania. For days it was talked about on television, an extraordinary result for a country without a traditionHowever, despite the media hype, structural difficulties and a lack of investment prevented us from turning that success into a lasting springboard. There wasn't much willpower. Perhaps the time wasn't right.
Tour already dreamed of in 2014
The time wasn't ripe, but something was starting to brew. In fact As early as 2014, during a meeting with the Federation's top officials, the dream of bringing the Giro d'Italia to Albania emerged. Ten years have passed since that day, eleven in a few days…
"It seemed like a utopia. We lacked the economic and organizational resources," Frassi recalls. "Today that dream has come true, thanks to the will of the Albanian government and the collaboration with RCS SportsThe mayor of Tirana spoke about bike lanes… The grand start of the Giro represents not only a sporting event, but also an extraordinary opportunity for tourism promotionAlbania has spectacular scenery and is making great strides. Just a year ago, I returned to Vlora for a weekend with my family and I almost didn't recognize the waterfront. It's been renovated, it's modern, and it's full of life. There are beautiful beaches, and the hinterland is also fascinating.
Frassi then also mentions the Albanian routes and talks about the challenging climbs in the hinterland. He believes the Giro d'Italia will offer a unique spectacle: "It will be a global showcase for a country that has so much to offer, not only to cycling enthusiasts but also to tourists».
The pink opportunity
The Giro could represent the spark to bring more people closer to cycling and to promote a more sustainable lifestyleHopefully, it can be a great driving force. For now, the base is small and the challenges are many. However, the Tour of Albania has existed since 1936, and youth activity, albeit patchy, is present.
"The organizational foundations," Frassi says, "are still fragile. For example, I remember the national championships. They were held on incredible courses, and participation was limited: The elite race saw twenty starters on a 180 kilometre course that was almost entirely straight and flat.They had marked a sort of roundabout on the ground with paint, the turning point: 10 kilometers in one direction and 10 in the other. In the middle was an overpass, and at the finish line or on the roads, very few people.
Yet, there's no shortage of young talent. During my time as manager, I met determined young people, like Kosty and Bezmir, who showed the potential of the movement. The main problem remains the lack of a structured system to cultivate talent. Ultimately, thanks to my contacts we brought Love&Life to Albania and in fact it was the first team UCI of the country. We even won a few races. But without investment in infrastructure and training, cycling risks remaining a niche sport. We hope the Giro d'Italia can do something in this direction. When a child sees champions passing by their house, it can spark the desire to ride. This is the first step in building a cycling culture."
