Here are the champions: the Tour of the Alps kicks off tomorrow
The race favourites for the 2022 Tour of the Alps have been announced in the heart of Cles (Trento): Landa, Lopez, Sivakov, Froome, and the Frenchmen, Pinot and Bardet, are ready to do battle on the roads of the Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino Euroregion. The opening stage from Cles to Primiero/S. Martino di Castrozza is scheduled for tomorrow. It will be broadcasted live on tv starting at 2 pm CET
This year’s Easter Sunday brought cycling’s elite to Cles (Trentino). This hometown of Maurizio Fondriest, and the historic home of the Trofeo Melinda have a natural calling for cycling, and Cles has officially kicked off the 2022 Tour of the Alps (April 18-22) with the team presentations.
All the racers for the 45th edition of the Euro-regional stage race were welcomed onto the stage set in the heart of the Val di Non, home of the Melinda Consortium. It was an eve of anticipation and excitement marked by preliminary operations in advance of tomorrow's start. Monday, April 18th, will bring the peloton 160.9 km from Cles (official start at 11:20 am CET) to Primiero/S. Martino di Castrozza. The first part of this opening stage will go fast until the Passo Brocon ascent, where the race will get spicy on the climbs of the Passo Gobbera and Molaren (which will be repeated twice). The athletes will look for the perfect spot to launch the final attack and become this year’s first winner.
The fans, finally back to embrace the GS Alto Garda race after the 2021 edition marked by the pandemic, warmly greeted the 2022 Tour of the Alps racers starting with Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), winner of the 2016 Giro del Trentino, and Miguel Angel Lopez (Team Astana-Qazaqstan), two of the main favourites for overall victory. The Spaniard from Team Bahrain-Victorious can count on the support of his compatriot, Pello Bilbao, last year’s winner in Pieve di Bono and overall runner-up.
“We are ready. The Tour of the Alps is a hard race where every day there is a climb and a chance to attack. Every stage can be crucial for the final victory”, explain the Spaniards of Bahrain-Victorious.
Two winners from previous editions were presented, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Pavel Sivakov (INEOS-Grenadiers). Sivakov will have 2015 Giro del Trentino winner and teammate, Richie Porte, by his side.
“The Tour of the Alps is always a special race for me because here I won my first professional race in 2019,” Sivakov stated.
For the fourth consecutive edition, Chris Froome (Israel - Premier Tech) will also be at the start. In recent days, he has shown confidence about his current shape, and will be supported by two of the most-loved Italian riders who are equally loved by fans worldwide. They are Alessandro De Marchi, winner of the Gruppo Cassa Centrale blue jersey for the KOM classification last year, and 2020 European champion, Giacomo Nizzolo, who is ready to flex a little muscle ahead of the Giro d'Italia.
Other possible contenders not to be underestimated for the green jersey are Frenchman, Romain Bardet (Team DSM), and British racer, Hugh Carthy (EF Education - Easypost), along with teammate Esteban Chaves.
“I first took part in the race 12 years ago, time passes so quickly, but I am still so happy and excited of being here,” stated the Colombian.
BORA-hansgrohe team will be on the attack with Matteo Fabbro, who shined last year by leading the team along with Lennard Kamna and the young Belgian talent, Cian Uijtdebroeks.
Among local athletes, hopes are high for Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious), Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Mattia Bais (Drone Hopper-Androni), Felix Gall (Ag2r La Mondiale), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain-Victorious), Patrick Gamper (Bora-Hansgrohe), and the youngsters of the Tirol KTM Cycling Team, the only Continental squad representing Tyrol.
During the presentation, a special moment was dedicated to DEBRA Onlus, the association supporting research against Epidermolysis Bollosa, a rare pathology that affects the lives of the so named Butterfly Children. The brief presentation was narrated by Onlus's ambassador, the ultrarider Anna Mei.
More than 100 countries in the world are ready to enjoy the images of the 2022 Tour of the Alps, thanks to a 90-minute daily live broadcast produced and distributed by PMG Sport.
The Euro-regional event will be shown on Eurosport 1, Eurosport Player, and GCN, which will broadcast the signal in Europe, Eastern Europe, East Asia, USA, Canada, South America, Central America, Pacific Area and Indian Subcontinent, RaiSport (Italy), L'Equipe TV (France), and TV2 (Denmark).
TOUR OF THE ALPS LIVE BROADCAST
Stage 1 – Monday, April 18th (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm CEST)
Stage 2 – Tuesday, April 19th (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm CEST)
Stage 3 – Wednesday, April 20th (1:00-2:30 pm CEST)
Stage 4 – Thursday, April 21st (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST)
Stage 5 – Friday, April 22nd (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm CEST)
