One Friulian, Giovanni Micheletto, won a Giro d’Italia.

Another, we can consider him at least half Friulian, Ottavio Bottecchia, even triumphed in two Tours de France.

A third, Enrico Gasparotto, as sports director, won another pink race, thanks to the feat of Australian Jai Hindley.

And then, many other regional cyclists who have won stages in the Giro, the Tour, the Vuelta and triumphed in important international races, such as the Lombardia, the Amstel Gold Race or in track competitions at world or Olympic level.

Up to the last four young protagonists who are holding high the name of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in track, road and cyclocross cycling, namely Jonathan Milan, Manlio Moro, Stefano Viezzi and Sara Casasola.

But our region has also been the scene of important stages of the Giro d’Italia, from that of 1946, which ended in a Trieste that was not yet Italian and was won by the Triestine Giordano Cottur, to those that saw their epilogue at the top of the Zoncolan, now recognised as the toughest climb in Europe, and a meeting place for thousands of cyclists since it was discovered.

And, again, the challenge of the uphill time trial to Mount Lussari, which gave victory on the line, at the Giro 2023, to the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, a road that is connected to one of the best known and most fascinating cycle routes in Europe, the Alpe Adria Radweg.