First held in 1885, the former winners of the Italian Road National Championships include the legends of the sport. Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali, and Fausto Coppi each won the national road racing title four times. Bartali’s first and last wins (‘37 and ‘52) spanned 15 years.

Like many of the top European nations in pro cycling, participation in the Italian National Road Championships is mandatory for riders who aim to make the roster for the World Championships in September. This means the field is stacked with the country’s top talent.

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Contenders

Vincenzo Nibali leads the list of favorites heading into Saturday, and also brings one of the most dominant teams with a ten man Italian squad from Bahrain-Merida. Nibali wore the prestigious tricolore jersey of the Italian national champion in both 2014 and 2015. After a less-than-impressive showing at the Criterium du Dauphine, where Nibali finished 24th overall, the Tour de France favorite will likely test his legs before the the Grand Boucle.

Team Sky’s Gianni Moscon showed impressive form at the Duaphine, briefly wearing the leader’s jersey, and will surely seek to take the Italian national title. Often considered the bad boy of Italian bike racing, Moscon was recently cleared by the UCI for allegedly pushing Sebastien Reichenbach off his bike during a race. He’ll lead a team of just four Sky riders. Moscon’s main challenge will be hanging onto the wheel of Nibali (a.k.a. The Shark of Messina) on the technical descent to the finish.

Diego Ulissi will lead an eleven rider team from UAE-Emirates at the Italian Road Championships. Ulissi recently took a dominant stage victory at the Tour de Suisse, out sprinting a small group of favorites on the summit finish of a category 2 climb. Ulissi’s teammate, reigning national champion Fabio Aru, is expected to miss this year’s race. Aru is recovering from a DNF at the Giro d’Italia, meaning Ulissi will be the sole protected rider.

Course

The race will cover 233.8 kilometers on a circuit between Darfo and Boario Terme, through a mountainous valley in the Italian Alps. The course’s main obstacle is the climb of Via Cornaleto with pitches of 17 percent in gradient. 

The route was designed to mimic the World Championships course in Innsbruck, Austria, a demanding parcour that will favor climbers.

How To Watch

The 2018 Italian Road National Championships will be available live and on-demand for viewers in North America on Saturday, June 30.

Live Stream Start Time: 7:15 AM CDT
Expected Finish: 10:00 AM CDT

Join PRO to watch the the 2018 Italian Road National Championships live and on-demand.

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