Negrar di Valpolicella (Vr), 17 September 2020 - The race should have been run as usual, just after Easter, on Tuesday 14 April but, due to the Lockdown, it was postponed to Saturday 19 September: despite the forced postponement due to the pandemic and all the attempts made in these months by the organising staff of Valpolicella B.E.S.T. the Gran Premio Palio del Recioto - Trofeo C&F Resinatura Blocchi will not be held.
This is the final decision taken, despite and with much regret, by the men of President Alessandro Comin Chiaramonti, which unfortunately puts an end to the expectations of many fans who hoped to return again this year in Negrar di Valpolicella (Vr) for what is one of the most popular competitions of the international calendar reserved for Under 23.
The 59th edition will take place in 2021, according to Valpolicella B.E.S.T.: "Unfortunately, after preparing the plan to set up a race of international level as the Palio del Recioto in complete safety, we had to deal with the refusal of the necessary authorizations by the Municipal Administration. We have tried in every way, sifting through all the different options available, to find a formula that would allow us to run the best Under 23s on our roads: however, we have had to accept the Municipality's choice, which is difficult but within the exclusive competence of the authority," explained Comin Chiaramonti, the number one of the organisational machine. "In spite of this, we are not stopping: on the contrary, it is our intention to work immediately on the 2021 edition to make the Palio del Recioto even more beautiful, fascinating and interesting than it has been so far. We have many initiatives in the pipeline and a large, young and full of ideas working group.
No Gp Palio del Recioto - Trofeo C&F Resinatura Blocchi then for next 19 September: a cancellation in extremis that is the symbol of how much the fans of Negrar have tried in every way to realize an event always able to catalyze the attention of the world of two wheels and to reward the most talented young people in the world. Without leafing through the annals of cycling, it's enough to look at the 2019 podium to understand the importance of the challenge that this year will not be held on the roads of Valpolicella: on the podium, together with the winner Matteo Sobrero, already arrived to the professionalism, there are Samuele Battistella from Vicenza, who a few months later would have become World Champion Under 23 and Giovanni Aleotti from Modena, who last Sunday won the title of Italian Champion Under 23.
The same could be said of what was seen in Negrar di Valpolicella in 2018 with the promising South African Stefan De Bod preceding the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, now fighting to win the Tour de France, and Andrea Bagioli, among the youngest World Tour athletes to score in this 2020.
