The curtain rises on the new season of the Autozai Contri Team. Once again, the Lounge Arch of Villa Brasavola de Massa, in the heart of Verona, provides the backdrop for the official presentation of the team led by sports director Fausto Boreggio.

Among the evening's guests were Edoardo Salvoldi, Head Coach of the Elite and Under 23 Track National Team and the Junior Road and Track National Team, Olympic champion Eros Poli, Verona's mayor Damiano Tommasi, and the Provincial FCI Committee President Diego Zoccatelli.

The evening opened with an emotional tribute to Fausto Vighini, the historic patron of Veronese cycling who passed away last Sunday at the age of 92, in whose honor a minute of silence was observed.

"We're starting again on the wings of enthusiasm for what we achieved in 2024, an extraordinary year in every respect, not just in terms of results," said General Manager Enrico Mantovanelli. "We unexpectedly rose to prominence. In our two-year project, this was supposed to be the season of our definitive breakthrough, but we accelerated ahead of schedule, and now comes the exciting part because we know we're in the spotlight and will need to confirm our success. It won't be simple, but as always, we start with ambitious goals, as is the tradition of this organization. We're aware of the value of our athletes and technical staff, and I'm convinced we can still enjoy some great satisfactions. I'd like to extend a big thank you to all our sponsors, who support us with passion and enthusiasm and identify with the values that have always inspired our cycling philosophy."

"As a sports professional, I know how difficult it is to maintain high levels by transforming the fear of losing into motivation and adrenaline to face new challenges, especially after a very positive year," said Damiano Tommasi, mayor and sports councilor of Verona. "Cycling is a sport of effort that increasingly requires greater sacrifices over time. In youth, there's a playful component that makes one choose it, but deciding to continue practicing at certain levels requires great willpower. In a period when people often try to avoid hard work, I can only applaud these young athletes and wish them the best for the upcoming season."

"With the Riboli Team, we shared a path that allowed us to achieve important results in 2024," said Head Coach Edoardo Salvoldi. "As the General Manager Mantovanelli highlighted, this year the bar will be raised even higher. Our task will be to put the athletes in conditions to express themselves at their best and help them complete their growth path, because at this age they must be able to work peacefully and, most importantly, learn that defeats generate motivations for improvement."

"We have a cohesive group, the new members have integrated perfectly and I'm confident they can make an important contribution right away," said sports director Fausto Boreggio. "During our training camp in Spain, we managed to work as we wanted, and the sensations are very positive. On Sunday we'll race in Tuscany at the Gran Premio Baronti, and at La Rizza in Villafranca, Verona province, two very challenging races, different in technical characteristics, but certainly within our reach. We know that many factors must combine to win, but as always, we'll try to be protagonists."