Youth races and Fitness Fair close the GP Liberazione: Ferraro (Juniors), Colella (Cadets), and Fiacco (Beginners) win

The Gran Premio della Liberazione, organized for the fourth year by Claudio Terenzi's team, experienced today its grand finale with the three youth races. But not before the Caracalla circuit was filled yesterday with amateur cyclists and runners.

The three-day event in the heart of the Capital saw a total of about 2,000 participants, including athletes, enthusiasts, and staff, a great celebration for all tastes and ages. It opened on April 25, in the presence of top authorities, with the two main races, in which the Italian Chiara Consonni crowned a UAE domination by achieving her first seasonal victory in the Olympic year and first-year Under 23 Davide Donati finalized a superb performance for himself and Biesse Carrera. But also with the Bike 4 Fun, which brought hundreds of enthusiasts to ride peacefully in the heart of Rome, enjoying the same circuit as the competitors and contributing to the cause of organ donation in support of ANED and AIDO.

Then Friday the 26th as we said. The "Urbis et Orbis Cup", also valid as the Lazio Master championship, featured the great duelists Rossano Mauti and Marco Bernardinetti, with the latter winning at the end of a race conducted at a frantic pace. The numerous winners in all categories were awarded, and a completely new event for the Liberazione began: the running race organized in collaboration with Appia Run, ten dream kilometers with victories by Dario Mafrica among the men and Chiara Collatina among the women.

Finally, today's conclusion. The Cavaliere Liberazione Juniores, so named for a sponsorship strongly desired by Clemente Cavaliere (patron of the CPS team) also as a promotion of cycling in Central-Southern Italy, saw the home team particularly active. Claudio Terenzi's Veleka, in fact, showed special commitment to this event, with the super-combative Emanuele Rocchi starting a breakaway that, like an avalanche, started with few riders and grew to over twenty. On the third-to-last lap Matteo Gabelloni (Casano) attacked and dreamed of glory, but in the very last corners he was caught by the group led again by the Veleka team, this time with the Australian Alex Eaves. The contest was then decided by the powerful sprint dominated by Santiago Ferraro (Work Service Coratti) who beat Michele Bonometti (Ecotek), Gabelloni and Eaves, with the rest following.

A particularly meaningful victory for Ferraro, who is from Cerveteri and at the beginning of the week had won the Garibaldina in Mentana: "An enormous satisfaction to raise my arms to the sky of Rome in a dream setting - he said beaming on the podium -. I didn't expect to hit the big target, but I tried from the start and, when I found myself with the best on the finishing straight, I felt I had the legs and went full throttle!"

Demanding not for its elevation but for the unpredictability of its ups and downs and layout, as confirmed by the Italian Junior national coach Dino Salvoldi present on site, highlighting the mix of technical and historical aspects that make the Liberazione truly unique, the Caracalla circuit also set off fireworks for the DPiù Liberazione Allievi: first Meloni and Rossetto tried, then Achille Bellato, at the bell for the last lap the group was still compact but, in the bends between the Aurelian Walls and the Pyramid of Cestius, Mattia Chinellato (Logistica Ambientale) and Filippo Colella (Biassono) broke away, with the latter prevailing in the two-man sprint. Behind them, Luciano Gaggioli (Valdinievole) completed the podium.

The Allievi race, as well as the subsequent Co.Re.Ma 3 Liberazione Esordienti, also counted as the 5th stage of the GP Ciclisti Ieri Oggi Domani of the Lazio Cycling Federation. The early breakaway attempts gave way halfway through the race to the action of three boys who collaborated perfectly and shared the three medals: Andrea Fiacco (Coratti), Laerte Scappini (Empolese), and Nicolò Montanaro (Fusion Bike). In the end, Montanaro launched the sprint but Fiacco pulled off the winning comeback: sixth victory in a month for the Ciociaro, who after the Brianza interlude signed by Colella in the previous category, brought home another Lazio victory and continued the virtuous tradition of the Coratti team in the capital region.

Among the first years the winner was 12th placed Gabriele Leo from Cambike, while Il Pirata Vangi dominated among the women, with Alessandra Vuolo winning among the Allieve and Livia Rossi among the Esordienti.

As a corollary to the entire event, the Fitness Fair also took place in the race village, a series of initiatives open to all including pilates, total body, yoga, boxing, and assorted dances to give an even more varied and complete touch to the GP Liberazione.

A festival that, as intended and committed by the Councillor for Major Events, Sport and Fashion of Rome Capital Alessandro Onorato, is putting Rome more and more at the center of cycling.

The winners of the Women's and Under 23 races on April 25 and of the Juniores, Allievi, and Esordienti today wore the evocative jerseys made by Giesse Cycling by Giulio Di Nicola.

For the Juniores results CLICK HERE

For the Allievi results CLICK HERE

For the Esordienti results CLICK HERE

PHOTO STEFANO SPALLETTA