Giro della Valcalepio 2026 [FULL RACE] (junior) (italian)

May 17, 2025

2nd Giro della Valcalepio 2026 🇮🇹 MJ – Grumello del Monte – San Pantaleone : 112,8 km

Giro della Valcalepio winds through the undulating hills and vineyard-draped landscapes of Lombardy’s Valcalepio region, where the roads rise and fall across a mix of short, punchy climbs and longer, gradual ascents that define the area’s deceptively challenging terrain. The course is a succession of rolling hills, with gradients rarely exceeding 8% but relentless in their repetition, particularly on climbs like the Côte di Grumello or Côte di Trescore Balneario, where the road tilts upward just enough to force riders to accelerate and maintain momentum. The descents are fast and technical, their tight bends and narrow lanes demanding precision, while the flatter sections wind through picturesque villages and open countryside, often exposed to crosswinds that sweep across the valley floors. The race dynamics are shaped by these short, punchy climbs and wind-exposed stretches, with attacks launching on the steepest ramps or during moments of echelon formation, the peloton thinning as fatigue sets in. The final kilometers often feature a decisive climb or a fast, technical run-in, where a reduced bunch sprints for victory, or a small group of riders who have escaped the chaos battle it out in a tense, high-speed finish. The Giro della Valcalepio is a race that rewards explosiveness, endurance, and tactical intelligence, offering a true test of versatility across a course that blends the charm of the Italian countryside with the relentless challenge of its climbs and unpredictable conditions.

Double Triumph for Spain’s Aitor Martinez at Giro della Valcalepio, Securing “2 Giorni di Brescia e Bergamo” Overall Victory

A double triumph for Spain’s Aitor Martinez (Team Vangi Tommasini Il Pirata), who, after winning the Giro della Franciacorta on Saturday, also claimed the Giro della Valcalepio, crossing the finish line alone in Grumello del Monte (BG). This also meant overall victory for him in the 2 Giorni di Brescia e Bergamo, which encompassed both the Giro della Franciacorta and the 5th GP Ecotek – M.C.Assistance Trophy. Completing the podium of the 2nd Gran Premio SE.AV.IM. Servizi Avanzati d’Impresa were Italians Marco Pierotto (Contri-Autozai) in second place, and Filippo Colella (Team Neri Sottoli) in third.

Thanks to these two successes, Aitor Martinez also secured the orange jersey for the ECOTEK Gran Combinata points classification and confirmed himself as the winner of the GPM (King of the Mountains) classification with the Se.Av.Im. polka dot jersey. The white MC Assistance – Soluzioni d’impresa jersey for the best young rider, however, went to Giacomo Primavesi (Bustese Olonia). The award for the winning team and the Gran Combinata went to Team Vangi Tommasini Il Pirata.

The riders were presented with their awards by the creators and organizers of the 2 Giorni di Brescia e Bergamo, Luigi Braghini and Lucio Dognini, who expressed satisfaction with the excellent success of an event that captured the attention of the national junior category this weekend.

THE RACE

180 junior riders started the 2nd Gran Premio SE.AV.IM. Servizi Avanzati d’Impresa; for them, a 98.5 km course featuring the final four ascents of the S.Pantaleone climb, with the finish line just a few meters beyond the summit.

Before the start, in the presence of Lucio Dognini and Livia Suardi representing Se.Av.Im, a minute of silence was observed.

“We wanted to dedicate a minute of silence in memory of Francesco Mazzoleni, who raced with us for two years in the junior category and passed away 91 days ago during training,” said an emotional Lucio Dognini, organizer of today’s race, “but I believe Francesco is still here with us today.”

Regarding the race, Dognini, president of the Team Travel & Service junior team, which was competing today, added:

“We thank all our sponsors, including the Grumello del Monte Castle estate. Our thanks also extend to the municipal administration, to all local associations such as the ‘Amici di San Pantaleone’ group and the Valcalepio cycling group, the retired Carabinieri, without forgetting all the local associations from the municipalities of Telgate, Mornico al Serio, and Tagliuno, who help us ensure the safety of the riders.”

The event undoubtedly promoted the municipality of Grumello del Monte, whose mayor, Floriano Caldara, was present at the start. Also among the interested spectators were the FCI Lombardia president Stefano Pedrinazzi and the coach of the Italian Junior National Team, Edoardo Salvoldi.

THE RACE REPORT

Compared to the 112.8 km originally planned, the race was shortened to a distance of 98.5 km. This change made the race even more explosive, with riders completing the competition at a very high average speed of 42.518 km/h.

There were many attacks by the riders in the early stages of the race, but no move developed into a proper breakaway.

The real race began 42 km from the finish with the S.Pantaleone climb, which, with each pass, presented a different scenario to the large assembled crowd. While on the first pass over the GPM the peloton arrived in a long single file, the subsequent dynamic was very different with an attack by Nembrini, Iaconeta, Pierotto, Primavesi, Lover, and Dalcanale, who gained 32 seconds on the main group. After the second GPM pass, with Lover in the lead, a trio of counter-attackers — Balliana, Ferronato, and Spain’s Martinez — caught the escapees.

An 11-man group thus formed at the head of the race (Iaconeta would later drop due to a mechanical issue), and at the sound of the bell, they held a 48-second lead over the first chasers.

Victory thus seemed to be a ten-man affair, and everyone expected the final pass over S.Pantaleone to be the decisive point where the race would be decided.

However, this was only partially true. The escapees began looking at each other, cooperation broke down, and the chasing group halved their deficit. Then, precisely at a moment when the lead group spread out and slowed the pace, Nembrini and Pierotto launched a decisive attack. The two believed in their move and rode hard, gaining a decent margin on the first chasers. But the situation mixed up again. Moreno then reached the front, followed by Balliana, creating a new scenario on the climb that was definitively overturned by the legs and strength of Aitor Martinez.

Indeed, the Vangi rider attacked repeatedly, caught and dropped the leading men, and rode solo towards the finish line. Meanwhile, behind the leaders, some riders from the first chasing group, who had narrowed the gap on the flat section, closed in strongly.

And so, at the finish line, there was yet another different scenario. The excellent Aitor Martinez, dominator of the 2 Giorni di Brescia e Bergamo, took the win, with Marco Pierotto arriving 5 seconds later. The recovering Filippo Colella was able to win the sprint for third place against Moreno and Primavesi, who finished 8 seconds back.

PODIUM STATEMENTS

Aitor Martinez:
“It was a hard race today too, we knew we could perform well and we won. Both today and yesterday the team worked very hard, and I believe we deserved this victory.”

Marco Pierotto:
“Tactically, I think I raced very well. I tried to launch an attack just after the last kilometer while I was in the breakaway with the other three. I was left alone, but then Martinez caught me and won.”

Filippo Colella:
“Today was a good race. Yesterday I also had good sensations, but then the finale didn’t go very well. Today I knew I was feeling good: I tried to stay with Aitor until the end, then he attacked on the hardest part. I couldn’t hold on, and congratulations to him.”

Results :
1‎. MARTINEZ Aitor (Team Vangi Tomassini Il Pirata) Km 98,5 Km in 2h19min alla m.o. di 42,518 Km/h

2‎. PIEROTTO Marco (Autozai-Contri) +5″

3‎. COLELLA Filippo (Team Neri Sottoli Lucchini Energy) +9″

4‎. MORENO GARCIA Daniel (A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team)

5‎. PRIMAVESI Giacomo (Bustese Olonia)

6‎. FRANCESCHINI Giulio (Ciclistica Trevigliese) +18″

7‎. VIERO Guido (Nordest Petrucci Assali Stefen)

8‎. BALLIANA Enrico (Team ECOTEK Zero24)

9‎. NEMBRINI Mirko (Ciclistica Trevigliese) +32″

10‎. ZANOLINI Eric (Nordest Petrucci Assali Stefen) +41″