U.C. Giorgione, Italy’s oldest cycling team still in activity, is undergoing a revamp this year. In the 2024 season, world champion Alessandro Ballan has decided to return to his roots and become president of the team with which he made his debut in the world of cycling.
Ballan and his team wanted to build a team entirely dedicated to women’s youth cycling, focusing on the Esordienti and Allieve categories, which will be the future of this sport.
The team presentation took place today, March 23, in Castelfranco, at the headquarters of Ceccato Motors, one of the sponsors of U.C. Giorgione.
In addition to the new managers and the entire team, the Mayor of Castelfranco and President of the Province of Treviso, Stefano Marcon, the leader of the Lega-Liga Veneta in the Veneto Regional Council, Alberto Villanova, and Giorgio Dal Bo, President of the FCI of the Province of Treviso, were also present.
There are 11 girls on the roster for this season, aged 13 to 17, all from local teams.
Joining the 2008 Varese world champion in this new adventure will be Stefano Agostini, who will serve as Vice President, and Enrico Bonsembiante, who will serve as Team Manager.
This is Alessandro Ballan’s first role as president, and doing so with the team that saw him start his sporting career is a great thrill, as he himself says: “It is a great honor for me to start my career as manager of my hometown team, the one with which I made my debut in the world of cycling. I would like to thank former President Leopoldo Fogale and the entire former board for the great work they have done over the years and for the tremendous opportunity they have given me. Women’s cycling is growing rapidly, with more and more girls riding bikes on the roads and important competitions open to women. That’s why, when we thought about how to set up the new team, we had no doubts and decided to start with them. For us, it is essential that the girls enjoy cycling first and foremost, that they love the sport, and then the results will follow.“ These are the words of the Mayor of Castelfranco and President of the Province of Treviso, Stefano Marcon: ”I am very proud of this new adventure that is taking place in our area and that continues such a deeply rooted tradition as that of U.C. Giorgione.
I would like to thank Alessandro Ballan and all his staff, together with the many sponsors who have supported the project. It is wonderful to see that we have entrepreneurs who believe in the importance of contributing to a team that can help young people grow according to the educational values of sport, values that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.” This news was also welcomed with enthusiasm by Alberto Villanova, leader of the Lega-Liga Veneta in the Veneto Regional Council:
“I couldn’t miss this evening dedicated to a club that is so important for the Province of Treviso, which has cycling in its blood. When Alessandro told me about this project, I was moved by his passion and how attached he is to the jersey he wore when he started out as a child. I am sure that the girls of U.C. Giorgione will follow the example of this great champion in both their sporting and personal lives.”