2023-05-26 14:35:01
Normal people ride the routes of the pros on the Tour of Italy on e-bikes.
Photo: imago/Alessandro Garofalo
Hundreds of cycling enthusiasts headed to the Val di Zoldo ski area on Thursday. The 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia was held there. They were on the road with racing bikes from very different eras. Many gasped as the road climbed steeper and steeper toward their destination. And they were quite astonished when suddenly a peloton of more than a hundred people made up of people like them – not professionals, but who showed hardly any signs of exhaustion despite the comparatively high speed – passed them. The astonished witnesses of the rushing Giro E.
The e-bike race was held for the first time in 2019. »After we saw the first races of Formula E, the electrified version of Formula 1, and there were also the first racing bikes with motor support, we thought that there should also be an event of the Giro d’Italia with e-racing bikes« , says Roberto Salvador »nd«. For years, Salvador was head of logistics at the traditional Giro. He is familiar with things that have to be transported to the right place at the right moment.
Salvador also has an interest in this all happening in a sustainable way. In a race in which 126 endurance athletes are currently accompanied by many more cars, trucks and team buses, sustainability is not easy. But the will is there. And the Giro E can act as a catalyst. »On the one hand, we are trying to encourage the population to adopt e-mobility, to use electric bikes for everyday tasks as well. As an organization we also use electric cars. And we are pursuing some initiatives to use sustainable materials,” explains Salvador. The Startvillage consists of the renewable raw material wood. “We also use solar panels. And the medals that are awarded are made of scrap metal.”
Medals – that sounds like a trifle. But if you look at the award ceremonies at the Giro E, then a lot comes together. There are seven classification jerseys, almost twice as many as in the classic Giro. Statistically, almost every participant has the chance to stand on the podium. This is the winners’ podium of the Giro d’Italia. There, where about an hour later Geraint Thomas, Joao Almeida or the new Italian sprint god Jonathan Milan squirt Prosecco, amateurs are celebrated as part of the Giro E. »That’s what’s so appealing about the Giro E. The participants get to know the Giro d’Italia from the inside. They ride the streets of the Giro, everything is already closed for them. And fans are also on the track,” Davide Cassani tells “nd”.
Cassani used to be a professional, he has clocked up 800,000 kilometers on his racing bike. He later became Italian national coach in road cycling. Now he is cycling in the Giro E. He concedes that electric bikes have the potential to change society: “E-bikes allow you to avoid the really intense moments of exhaustion. You can make an effort and choose the right load for you. You can also enjoy the scenery. And with the e-bike, normal people can ride together with competitive athletes.« At the Giro E, as captain of one of the 17 teams, he makes sure that his protégés look good, especially on the special stages. These are mostly regularity competitions in which everyone has to drive at the same pace.
The teams bear company names such as Toyoto, Trenitalia, Continental or CNH Industrial. These are companies that are discovering the business areas of e-mobility and alternative energy generation for themselves. “Participants are mainly cycling enthusiasts, some of whom work for us in the company, but some are also business partners,” says Giorgio Cattaneo, spokesman for Continental, “nd”. At Team Trenitalia you will find real engine drivers and conductors, as Gerhard Rauch reports. In everyday life, he directs a locomotive with 6 megawatts of power, and in the Giro E he happily drives electric motors that are throttled to 25 km/h.
A sustainability highlight from Continental, which is also used by some teams, is a tire made from dandelion rubber. »Engineers from Hanover developed it. The dandelion rubber has properties similar to rubber. We are currently developing this for bicycle tires, but also for cars,” says Cattaneo. Some WorldTour teams in professional cycling, such as the Ineos Grenadiers, also use tires made from this material. However, it was not possible to find out whether Geraint Thomas, the man in the pink jersey, is currently on his way on dandelion.
There is still a long way to go before series production. Last year, Continental entered into a partnership with the potato breeding company Böhm, which will now cultivate the weed, also known as dandelion, on a large scale. The Giro E even works back to Germany. In Italy, the Giro E is also prominent because well-known athletes take part. Former Giro d’Italia winner Damiano Cunego is the captain of a team, and former top sprinter Daniele Bennati was also a member. They enjoy being able to play a nice supporting role again on their former stage.
E-mobility is also quite unusual – if only there weren’t the many additional escort vehicles from police escorts to material trucks and motorcycle photographers. And not to mention the transfer routes that are covered not on e-bikes but in cars. Still, it’s an interesting offshoot that Giro organizers are developing. It gives those interested in cycling the opportunity to move on the Giro routes themselves. He promotes sustainability in everyday life. And he spreads positive vibes. That’s not a little these days.
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