The irresistible sprint of Elisa Balsamo and the joy of the Dutch Megan Arens's achievement are just two of the many beautiful images provided this year by the Binda Trophy - Municipality of Cittiglio and the Small Binda Trophy - Verbano Valleys held last Sunday with a start in Luino and finish in Cittiglio. The two races ignited the enthusiasm of thousands of spectators along the route and hundreds of thousands on TV: "These were two exciting races concluded differently, confirming that the course is suitable for all riders," explains Mario Minervino, president of Cycling Sport Promotion which organizes the double event. "We are very happy with the participation success. Overall, we counted 53 teams from around the world, including almost all the strongest cyclists. None of them held back, and this aspect makes every organizer happy. Despite the bad weather, we managed to propose many side initiatives; among all, I mention the disabled Valcavallina Superbike and the young riders of Mazzano Liv; cycling is a very inclusive sport, and the public celebration that welcomed those kids proves it. In the coming weeks, we will continue with initiatives related to the environment and school education. I am very proud of the TV data. The Binda Trophy was the most-watched sports broadcast in Italy throughout the entire afternoon. These were challenging days that we completed thanks to the help of many people. To ensure safety, about 500 people were employed, including volunteers, associations, local police, and law enforcement. Many others worked and committed themselves to ensure everything went smoothly. I thank each of them. The Luino merchants were fantastic, bringing the shop window contest to life, won by Capolinea".

The TV response was excellent. The race images were watched live on RAI2 by 571,000 viewers, representing 5.1% share, the most-watched sports program of the Sunday afternoon.

"This year, extra care was taken in setting up the finish line and along the route with new measures adopted thanks to Spm," continues Minervino. "I thank all the Municipal Administrations, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ticino Basin Consortium, the Province of Varese, the Verbano Valleys Mountain Community, Lombardy Region, the Minister of Sport and the Minister of Finance, who honored us with their presence at the finish. This year, the support of all local institutions was joined by the European Commission with the Joint Research Centre located in Ispra. I also thank the Varese Prefect, Dr. Salvatore Rosario Pasquariello, and the Varese Police Chief, Dr. Carlo Mazza, for what they arranged regarding public safety and order. Then the sponsors who are the pillars of this event; they were excellent at working as a team. I extend a special thanks to them. Thanks to the Mayor of Luino, Enrico Bianchi, for his city's availability to host the start of the two races, and Rossella Magnani, Mayor of Cittiglio, infinite thanks. Finally, I thank Hon. Roberto Pella for the invitation to enter the Professional League with the Regions Cup, which is making a significant contribution to the movement's development. But nothing would have been possible without the contribution of the former Alpini, Civil Protection Volunteers, and all the Law Enforcement Agencies involved. I thank them from the bottom of my heart, and with them, the road operators who ensured the possibility of passing without any problems along the entire route".