In the end there was no tug of war between the Trofeo Binda and the Milan-Sanremo Women's cycling for the dates of both races. It was just a matter of waiting for the almost natural evolution of the situation and seizing an opportunity that was good for everyone. The race will take place in Cittiglio on March 16th, six days later the first edition of the “Classicissima” in the feminine.
The controversy over a possible overlap in the calendar between the two races arose two years ago, at the first rumours of the birth of the Milan-Sanremo Women's cycling. However Mario Minervino, Chairman of the Cycling Sport Promotion which organizes the Binda Trophy, had been as adamant as he was serene about what would happen. Now, with the matter already closed without any trace of controversy, Minervino himself explained to us what he would like to see for the good of women's cycling. in the next springs in Italy.
Mario, just to clarify once and for all, how did the date issue go?
We were not forced by anyone to change the dayThe Trofeo Binda has reached its twenty-sixth edition, improving year after year, and so the UCI has always favored us on the calendar over other races on the same weekend. At the same time, I've always used common sense, and I think I did so this time too. As soon as I heard that the Ronde van Drenthe in Holland this year would not have taken place, I proposed to the UCI to bring forward our race by a week and they accepted. I was actually hoping we could create a new project for Italian racing.
What do you mean?
First of all, I want to clarify that I have now booked the new date slot for the Trofeo Binda, also for the future. So from now on, Italy will have three consecutive women's WorldTour races in the space of two weeks, with Strade Bianche and Sanremo. On top of all that, It would have been nice if the Giro del Mediterraneo in Rosa had also been included in this time frame (scheduled from April 9th to 13th, ed.) in addition to the Gold Trophy in Euro in Montignoso and the Ponente in Rosa in Liguria. Think about it…
That would be twelve days of Italian competitions in two weeks. Would they be manageable?
I absolutely think so. We'd have the opportunity to have all the foreign and Italian teams, WorldTour and otherwise, who could perhaps stay in Italy to train for that entire period. This would benefit the entire Italian women's cycling industry, including youth cycling, as well as the hotel industry and other sectors. If the usual Northern campaign has always been carried out by spending a month between Belgium, France and Holland, I don't see why the same thing can't be done here.The Cycling Federation should think about it and grasp this message of valorization of our movement.
It's an interesting idea to think about, but let's get back to the Binda Trophy. What's new?
I'll tell you the truth, I feel more comfortable talking about our race, than It remains the only WorldTour classic in Europe to be entirely female-only.This year we'll start from Luino, with a renovated first section before arriving in Cittiglio for the finale. We have increased the number of laps of the traditional circuit from 5 to 6, thus increasing the mileage from 140 to 152 kilometres.As you can see, we've adapted to the rest of the races of this size. Naturally, we'll still have the Piccolo Trofeo Binda for juniors, with three laps of the circuit for a total of 72,5 kilometers.
Will you also bring back newcomers and students on March 16th?
No, we're staying the same as last year. We would have liked to have the four women's races again, like in 2023, but we realized that everything was becoming more complicated to manage. We would have risked not giving the races their due weight. A year ago we organized the Binda Youth Trophy for beginners and students on June 30th and this year we should maintain that periodWe'll make it official soon.
Given the results of this early season, would you like to make a prediction for the Binda Trophy?
Frankly, no, it's too difficult. Cittiglio is a race in itself, one you can only fully understand once you've run it. It's a route that's open to both sprinters and climbers.. Perhaps it's a cliché, but it will depend on how the athletes and teams interpret the race. Looking at the roll of honor, It is a competition that rewards great champions or, in the case of juniors, that launches young talents towards a secure future.This year too, the level will be very high in both races.
Considering all the editions he has led, is there an athlete Mario Minervino would have liked to see triumph in Cittiglio?
I've never had a preference, though I admit I'm happy when an Italian wins. I'm happy to name one, though. I would have liked to see him win Noemi Cantele because she is a friend first and foremost and because she is from Varese. He deserved it and his success would have been good for our entire region.
