Belluno, May 31 - Vincenzo Nibali and Primoz Roglic, two of the main challengers and stars of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, will be in Belluno on June 3, the day after the end of the Giro d'Italia, for the Cycling Stars Criterium evening road race along with other stars of international cycling. Nibali, "the Shark of Messina", is closely tied to the Dolomites where he often trains and where he accomplished one of his most prestigious victories, riding with the pink jersey across the finish line at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo under a thick snow at the 2013 Giro d'Italia. "I have a really wonderful memory of the past editions of the Cycling Stars Criterium," Nibali said. "Above all for the fans and the great warmth of the public there. Events like this are good for cycling. It's a format that both we cyclists and the public really like," he said. Nibali is one of the very few athletes in the history of cycling to have won the "triple crown": the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España. "Now I'm concentrating on the Giro," he said. "I'm happy with the first part, in the San Marino time trial I did rather well compared to my direct rivals, and now important stages are coming with the big mountains. In any case, I'm sure that June 3 in Belluno will be a wonderful celebration for everyone," he said. Treviso native Enrico Bonsembiante, president of the Cycling Stars Criterium organising committee, said having Nibali once again this year is a "great satisfaction". "The Shark is one of the symbols of Italian cycling, and he has always honoured our event. He won the Criterium in 2017 and last year he came in second just behind Elia Viviani," Bonsembiante said. "We are sure that he will be one of the stars of this Giro. And after the Giro, in Belluno fans of all ages, in particular the children who are the future of cycling, will be able to meet him in person, for photos and autographs, in a celebratory atmosphere that is much more relaxed with respect to the daily stress of the Giro," he said. "Nibali will be there, but that's not all. Here at the Giro in recent days we have been working to set up a starting field of absolute quality for the June 3 Cycling Stars Criterium, and I can guarantee that there will be many of the top riders present in the Belluno city circuit," he said. Before the professionals' race, there will be the race of former professionals. "For this collateral event, we can already announce the presence of two former world champions - Alessandro Ballan and Paolo Bettini - and another racer who has always been loved by the public, Matteo Tosatto," he said.

In collaboration with:
Provincia di Belluno e Consorzio DMO Dolomiti