EI Council of Tenerifethrough Tenerife Tourism and Sports&Events Editorial Unit, will bring the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro competition to the island, which will take place on November 19 and 20. Developed within the framework of the great Italian cycling event, it will attract riders from all over the world, trying to imitate the great champions who fight every year for the prestigious pink jersey.
This innovative event will feature many of the elements that make the Giro unique. The island’s director of tourism, Laura Castro, stresses the importance for the island of hosting an event of these characteristics, “which will make Tenerife a point of reference for cyclists from all over Europe, whether they are amateurs or professionals, and will allow an exceptional promotion of the territory as a destination among the practitioners of this sport”, he maintains. Castro adds that the test “will be the only one that will take place in Europe and in Spain this Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro 2022, which, in addition to the exclusivity it grants to Tenerife as a destination, underlines our commitment to hosting top-level events that position us as an international reference for the practice of sport, in this case cycling” .
For his part, the CEO of Tenerife Tourism, David Prezstresses that “the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro will be a real showcase for the island, which is thus associated with an event of international prestige like the Giro d’Italia, where cyclists have access to a wide and well- preserved road, in addition to the possibility of riding on mountain roads or at sea level, with a pleasant temperature 365 days a year.
Pérez adds that “the qualities of the island mean that, alongside amateur riders, professionals of recognized prestige arrive every year in Tenerife as a prelude to their participation in events such as the Giro d’Italia, the world championships or the Olympic Games”. Regarding the exponential growth of this sport in Tenerife, Prez points out: “In 2021, 58,920 tourists who visited our island practiced cycling or mountain biking out of a total of 2,320,313, which represents 2.5% of the total. ” Managing Director and Director of Unidad Editorial, Nicola Speroni, explains: “Organizing the first Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro in Spain, and more specifically in such a unique and special place as Tenerife, is something that passion.” Also for the synergies that are created with the Giro d’Italia organization team – leader in the cycling offer -, which allow us to be stronger and more efficient in order to take off our sporting and commercial proposal. “Our goal for the future is to continue in the same direction, organizing events that are also a showcase to promote Spanish territories, both nationally and internationally,” says Speroni. Pascual Momparler, National Cycling Coach Spaniard and sports director of the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro, also speaks on this subject: “Bringing renowned cycling events to our country seems incredible to me; the idea of combining Tourism and Sports rt is perfect.” “.
Ultimately responsible for the design of the two days of competition, Momparler believes that having “two stages in November through Tenerife is spectacular, because the Canarian cyclist will be able to enjoy his island and boast of the race alongside the peninsulars and Europeans”. And he adds: “To hold this Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro in November, a date when the calendar is not saturated, ensuring a good climate for the participant at the peak of tourism in Tenerife. It’s a great combination, an idea to fill the roads with cycling enthusiasts”. Two stages in Tenerife The first edition of the Giro dItalia Ride Like a Pro will be made up of two stages, 94 and 107 kilometers, in which cycling enthusiasts riders will feel like real professionals.
Of course, and taking advantage of the orographic richness of the region, there will be no shortage of demanding and attractive climbs during the route. The first day, starting and ending in the town of Arona, will take the cyclists of the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro to the eastern end of the island. The summit of La Escalona, with its 1,031 meters of altitude, will become the great reference of the day after reaching the first ten kilometers from the end. The initial part will cross relatively favorable terrain until reaching the town of San Miguel, which will not only mark the equator of the stage, but will also mark the start of the steepest part of the stage. From there, the runners will return to Arona by a route that does not offer excessive rest until they reach the top of La Escalona. Once the climb is complete, cyclists will put the finishing touches to the day with a rapid descent to the finish line.
As with the Giro d’Italia for professionals, the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro in Tenerife reserves most of its toughness for the final stage of the race. Thus, the second stage, starting and ending in Adeje, will take the peloton to cover a good part of the west coast of the island, always under the imposing gaze of the Teide and entering the Corona Forest Natural Park. On this occasion, the end of the party will consist of 107 kilometers in which there will be practically no rest for the runners. The first big test of the day will come in the direction of Ruigmez, with the ascent to 1,134 meters which will mark the highest point of the entire Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro. After 38 kilometers of pedaling, the peloton will face a double ascent that will lead to the final descent, of just over 20 kilometers, before arriving in Adeje and concluding the first edition of the Giro d’Italia Ride Like a Pro Spain .