Italian national Championship course presented in Treviso

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The parcours for the Settimana Tricolore di Ciclismo 2010, the Italian national championships, were presented this past weekend in Trevisio, Italy. The championships will run from June 19 to 27, featuring races for all rankings from students to elite riders, as well as para-cycling competitors.

The men's elite race will be held on Sunday, June 27, in Conegliano, on “a technical and highly spectacular circuit” of 23.6km, to be ridden 11 times for a total of 259.6km. The circuit features the Ca' del Poggio climb, only 1.5 km into the circuit. The climb is 1.3km long with an average gradient of 15 per cent, “which, repeated 11 times, will affect the legs of the athletes,” according to a press release from the Italian Cycling Federation.

On Monday morning, Paolo Bettini will lead a group of riders and journalists over the course. The two-time World Champion, who did not attend the weekend's presentation due to a fever, will go out on the road with Alessandro Ballan, Marzio Bruseghin, Franco Pellizotti, Matteo Tosatto, Davide Malacarne, Mauro Da Dalto, Tiziano Dall'Antonia and Marco Bandiera.

The presentation also honoured the memory of Franco Ballerini, the Italian national coach who died in a rally accident earlier this month. An empty chair marked his place on the presentation podium.

Last year's Italian national Championships were held in Imola, Italy and finished on the motor racing circuit for the San Marino Formula 1 Grand Prix. Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) claimed the elite men's road race title ahead of Damiano Cunego (Lampre) and Luca Paolini (Aqua & Sapone).