A great sports celebration, a leading event on the international triathlon calendar that brings together professional athletes, young people and amateurs. The Challenge Sanremo is preparing to welcome over 700 athletes for the two days included in the Challenge Family circuit, making them experience intense days dedicated to multisport, but also music, with the Symphony Orchestra which will perform both on the competition field and during the awards ceremonies, and good Ligurian food that the athletes will be able to enjoy at the post-race refreshment points.
Piazzale Carlo Dapporto will be the headquarter of the event. The first day of competitions will be Saturday 23 September. In the morning, it will be the turn of the young triathletes to dive into the sea and then cycle and run on the cycle/pedestrian path: 140 participants from various categories are expected (Youth B, Youth A, Boys, Beginners, Cuccioli and Minicuccioli). On Saturday afternoon, starting at 3 pm, the Swimrun – Memorial Alessio Bianchi is scheduled, a test that involves alternating swimming and running for a total of 18 km (60 athletes at the start).
Sunday 24 September will be the key day. At 8 o’clock, the middle distance Challenge Sanremo will start (1.9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling, 21 km of running) with over 300 athletes from all over the globe, followed by, at 9:00, the Sprint triathlon (0.75 km swimming, 20 km cycling, 5 km running) with 200 athletes competing. We remind you that the race organized by Riviera Triathlon 1992 will assign the qualification slots for TheChampionship, the world final of the Challenge Family circuit. Furthermore, on Friday 22 September, at 12pm, the non-competitive ride “On the roads of Milan-Sanremo: discovering Cipressa and Poggio” will take place led by the former professional cyclist Oliviero Troia.
THE ATHLETES TO FOLLOW
Very high level for medium distance racing. Spotlight on Bart Aernouts, vice Ironman world champion in Kona in 2018, winner of the Challenge Roth in 2017, Duathlon world champion in 2010, this season first at the Challenge Frejus and second at Ironman Nice and Ironman 70.3 Pays of Aix. The expert Belgian triathlete will try to repel the attacks of the French William Mennesson and Simon Viain, both on the podium of the 2022 edition, and the Australian Caleb Noble, who has been getting familiar with the roads of the province of Imperia for several days. Also noteworthy in the notebook are the names of Andreas Dreitz (Ger), Giel Meesen (Ned), Jordi Montraveta (Esp) and the Italian Emanuele Faraco. Among the women, in addition to the Italian Giorgia Priarone (world team silver and European champion in the duathlon and winner of the Bardolino Triathlon, first at the Ironman 70.3 Maine and second at the Challenge Cagnes-Sur-Mer) it is worth keeping an eye on the British champion Jodie Stimpson, who before turning towards long distances was world triathlon champion (2010) and two-time gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games. South African Magda Nieuwoudt will certainly not be intimidated, having scored in the Davos, Gunsan and Frejus Challenges, and Justine Guerard (Fra), third last year, Sarah Schoenfelder (Ger), Lisa Maria Dornauer and Gabriele Maria Obmann (Aut), Megan McDonald (Gbr), Charlene Clavel (Fra) and the Italian Lilli Gelmini.
In the sprint triathlon, in addition to Kiril Polikarpenko who will want to improve on last year’s second place, the home athlete of the Riviera Triathlon 1992 Vittorio Russo and several other emerging youngsters should be followed.
On starting line, there will be also Masterchef Italia finalist Gilberto Neirotti, a triathlon enthusiast who chose Sanremo for his Italian debut in multisport.
ORGANIZER QUOTES
“A few hours before the start of the second edition of the Challenge Sanremo, enthusiasm and emotions rise – said Daniele Moraglia, president of the Riviera Triathlon 1992 and head of the organizing committee -. We are happy to find you in the Riviera dei Fiori even more numerous, a sign of trust in us, also testified by the award received last year from the Challenge Family as the best new race of 2022. This makes us proud, but also imposes a sense of responsibility: we know that the context in which the Challenge Sanremo weekend races take place is unique and special, but we are aware that we can still improve in many aspects. We try and we will try our best, as you athletes do, working with passion and dedication and networking with local and national institutions and partners, with sports and non-sports associations, with the territory. There are so many parts that contribute to making this event special, including the many volunteers who work behind the scenes: together with the core team, I thank all those who allow the success of the event and I wish all the male and female athletes to have fun and enjoy these splendid days in Liguria on the occasion of the Challenge Sanremo”.
HOW MANY YOUNG ATHLETES!
The racing weekend will be opened by youth races: 140 young triathletes from Youth, Boys, Beginners, Cuccioli and Minicuccioli will liven up the transition area starting from 9am on Saturday 23 September.
IN MEMORY OF ALESSIO BIANCHI
On the afternoon of Saturday 23 September, it will be the turn of the Challenge Sanremo Swimrun named to Alessio Bianchi. Member of the Riviera Triathlon 1992, well known and appreciated in the Italian and European swimrun circles, Alessio left us prematurely at the end of July last year, struck by an illness just as he was practicing the sport that he was so passionate about. As we have already had the opportunity to underline, Alessio will always swim and run next to us: he will always be one of us.
MEMORIAL GAVINO AND TROFEO RAMBALDI
On the occasion of the sprint and the medium distances of the Challenge Sanremo on 24 September, two special prizes will be awarded: the Memorial Marco Gavino and the Trofeo Daniele Rambaldi.
The fastest runners on middle distance race male/ female (Pro athletes are excluded) will receive the award named after Marco Gavino, a young policeman who died during a humanitarian mission in Kosovo, a great friend of all of us and a person of great qualities. The decision to donate the Trophy to the best runner stems from Marco’s past as an athlete, which made him a valid and passionate runner.
The Trofeo Daniele Rambaldi will be awarded to the best male and female athletes Under 23 who will cross the finish line of the Sprint Triathlon. Rambaldi has left an unbridgeable void in the life of those who have known him even for just a few minutes. Availability, “joie de vivre”, kindness, simplicity, sympathy, passion for sport, sincerity, loyalty are just some of the distinctive characteristics of the ¨Rambo¨ Danielone who since 1992 has been the soul and engine of the 1992 Riviera Triathlon. The Trofeo dedicated to emerging athletes was established precisely to underline his natural predisposition to work with young people.
MUNICIPALITIES, VOLUNTEERS, ASSOCIATIONS, SCHOOLS
A sporting event so complicated from an organizational point of view, can only materialize by networking and taking advantage of mutual collaboration and support. First of all, the Territories crossed by our races deserve thanks: in addition to Sanremo, the municipalities of Taggia, Riva Ligure, Santo Stefano al Mare, Terzorio, Pompeiana, Castellaro, Badalucco, Bajardo, Ceriana, Cipressa and Ospedaletti to which are added those to the Police Dept.
Collaboration with schools and universities is also fundamental, in particular with the Liceo Cassini of Sanremo, which will provide dozens of students to support our staff, and with the University of Foro Italico in Rome which will offer 30 students the opportunity to carry out a training internship in an international context during the week of the event.
CHARITY PROJECT
Fundraising for the purchase of some machineries for the pediatric department of the Imperia Hospital is still active: in addition to donating part of the registrations to this initiative, the organizers of the Riviera Triathlon event 1992 will activated a telematic system to collect donations on the dedicated Rete del Dono platform.Strong support for this important initiative will be provided by Rotary Club Sanremo Hanbury, Rotary Club Sanremo and Race Across Limits through its president Sabrina Schillaci, cyclist and triathlete (FUNDRAISING: https://www.retedeldono.it/it/n/263311)
ON THE ROAD OF MILAN-SANREMO
For all those registered for the Challenge Sanremo races and their companions, there will be a fun opportunity on Friday 22 September. At 12:00, the non-competitive ride “On the roads of Milan-Sanremo: discovering Cipressa and Poggio” will start from Piazzale Carlo Dapporto. A non-competitive meeting among cycling enthusiasts led by professional cyclist Oliviero Troia, who competed several times in the Milan-Sanremo and has a profound knowledge of the streets of the Riviera dei Fiori. With Oliviero, there will be the opportunity to climb Cipressa and Poggio, highlights of the Classicissima, and to discover the secrets of the descents and the last kilometers of the famous cycling race.
ORCHESTRA SINFONICA
The international flavor of the event on 23-24 September, one of the most important and renowned sporting events in the city of Sanremo and beyond, will represent an even more evocative and significant moment for the city and its excellence: the Symphonic Orchestra of Sanremo (Orchestra Sinfonica) becomes a partner of the event which coincides with the international competition RPM Sanremo – Russian Piano Music International Competition, the International Piano Prize Scribian which aims to encourage excellence in the performance of Russian classical piano music, enhancing and supporting young people talents at the beginning of their careers, thanks also to the advice of world-famous jurors.
On Sunday 24th, at 7:45 am, a few minutes before the start of the race, there will be a performance by the Sanremo Symphonic Orchestra which will perform Il Canto degli Italiani, better known as the Inno di Mameli or the Italian national anthem.
The mix of music and triathlon will continue towards the end of the day: at the Casino theatre, which will host the awards ceremony for the Challenge athletes and the final of the RPM competition, the Symphonic Orchestra will precede the call to the stage of the winners of the triathlon competitions with the performance of the Ode to Joy, the ode by Friedrich Schiller used by Ludwig van Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony.
Furthermore, the participants in the Challenge Sanremo, in addition to attending the finals of the RPM competition (it is necessary to communicate to the organization the desire to attend the show at the Casino Theater to receive the entrance ticket), will be able to vote and contribute to the election of the best pianist of the competition for 2023.
INSTITUTIONAL QUOTES
Giovanni Toti, President of Liguria Region
“Liguria is happy to welcome another great sporting event: on 23 and 24 September the highly anticipated second edition of the Challenge Sanremo Triathlon returns to the cita dei Fiori: for this reason I want to greet not only the organizers and participants of this race of enormous charm, but also all those who will come to watch the races. A very welcome return for this event which, already in its first edition, stood out for its organizational skills and high technical level, obtaining the recognition of “best new race award” as the best debut race in the “Challenge Family” circuit. Once again Liguria confirms itself as a land of great sport, with Sanremo included in this international circuit of triathlon competitions together with other highly prestigious locations around the world: recognition for the city as an extraordinary competition ground for this sporting discipline which sees the sea, the coast and its hinterland are involved, in a summary of the beauties that our region can offer”.
Augusto Sartori, Councilor for Tourism of the Liguria Region
After last year’s success, we have reached the second edition of an event that also in 2023 hosts the greatest international triathletes, making Sanremo one of the world capitals of this discipline. The 2022 edition was a success in terms of attendance of supporters following the athletes: this year, considering that registrations have increased considerably, the event will once again be an opportunity to make people fall in love with this part of Liguria who has never been here yet. Furthermore, I am happy that the event takes place at the end of September because we will be able to demonstrate how Liguria is attractive even outside the classic summer season. In fact, as a Region, we focus a lot on the so-called “seasonal adjustment” which, due to the mild climate that distinguishes Liguria, is applied very well to outdoor tourism: we have many places, from the coast to the hinterland, where you can go trekking or ride a bicycle which are gaining popularity year after year more and more attendances”.
Simona Ferro, Councilor for Sport of the Liguria Region
“We Ligurians always like to underline how our territory is an open-air gym. And it is precisely with this reflection that I bring my greetings to an event that will represent in the best possible way a peculiarity of our land in the context of an event such as the Challenge Sanremo , which also has a very high value from a sporting point of view. We are proud that an event like this is arriving in Liguria again this year. The two-day event in Sanremo will be a true sports festival, aimed not only at professionals in the sector, but also at families and people with disabilities. Riviera Triathlon 1992, the organizing team, has been able to create an increasingly important and successful event over the years. Social and tourist aspects are also concentrated in a single sporting event. As regional councilor for Equal Opportunities I find the choice to also give space to paratriathletes very positive. The choice to give families the opportunity to participate in this event in the different categories is also wonderful. From a tourist point of view, however, the open-air gym on the Riviera will become a perfect spot for our region. I tell participants who come from outside Liguria (and abroad) to enjoy the beauty of our land and then come back to visit us. It is said that sport is health and culture. Triathlon is the perfect example of this. Moving from one discipline to another also means learning to immediately find the right pace and intensity. From triathlon you learn how to eat correctly, hydrate and know how to listen to the body’s signals. It is a discipline where effort is respected and motivation is always at its maximum. In triathlon you change discipline and therefore you have to interpret the type of effort differently. This is why it is a school of life. A round of applause to the organizers and good luck to the participants: may your determination in doing sport at all levels be an example to others to help them understand how fatigue, if well balanced, can be transformed into joy and health”.
Claudio Scajola, president of the Province of Imperia
“The beauties of our territory are the natural stage for outdoor sport: the sea, the hinterland and the cycle/pedestrian path of the Western Ligurian Coastal Park make up the unmissable scenario that characterizes the Challenge Sanremo, a traditional high-level triathlon event . I greet the participants with pleasure and wish the organizers the full success of the event, a true sports festival that enhances the variety of the landscape of the province of Imperia”.
Alberto Biancheri, Mayor of Sanremo
“The triathlon and Sanremo now represent a strong and consolidated combination in the Italian (and not only) calendar of the spectacular sporting event. Afetr the inclusion of the traditional end-of-summer event in the prestigious international Challenge Family circuit in 2022, the 2023 edition is born in the name of confirmation. The city therefore welcomes this new event with satisfaction, knowingly that it will be able to warmly welcome the many athletes, both Italian and foreign, called to compete on routes that are as evocative as they are challenging, between land and sea. Thanks to the organization of the Challenge Sanremo and greetings to all the participants”.
Giuseppe Faraldi, Councilor for Sport and Tourism of the Municipality of Sanremo
“Sanremo is known above all for its flowers and musical vocation, in addition to its beauties, but the historic relationship with sport in all its facets is no less. One of these, certainly important, is represented by the Challenge triathlon which fits well into the tourism and sport trend, involving at the same time the uniqueness of the cycle-pedestrian path immersed in the coastal park, our sea with beaches where once again this year the blue flag and the suggestive inland routes. In short, an open-air gym ennobled by the presence of extraordinary athletes engaged in the disciplines of this extremely tough and spectacular specialty”.
Massimo Rossano, Councilor for financial services of the Municipality of Sanremo
“It’s really interesting to see how much passion and sacrifice triathletes give life to races like the Challenge Sanremo. Not only as a municipal administrator, but also as a sincere enthusiast that I am, it is a source of admiration and satisfaction for me to be able to breathe the sporting spirit of triathlon (and swimrun) in our city, with its welcoming capacity and increasingly outdoor vocation developed. Congratulations to Riviera Triathlon for the important work done in thirty years, which has allowed the club to gain considerable organizational experience and achieve prestigious goals”.
Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee
“The second edition of the Challenge Sanremo moves in the wake of the success recorded in the past season, thanks to the quality of the contents offered and the great response in terms of participation and involvement. The possibility of qualifying for the world final of the Challenge Family conveys the sense of prestige that characterizes this Italian appointment on the international circuit, projecting the winning image of the Triathlon and its extraordinary ability to permeate increasingly numerous groups of competitors and amateurs. An extraordinary commercial also to bring young people closer, enhanced by the scenic beauty of the place, by the ability of the organizers, by the exceptional nature of the discipline in the global dimension. We are happy that our country is still at the center of the world scene thanks to the credibility it boasts due to the strength of our movement and the tradition that has always accompanied us, a fundamental viaticum in view of the upcoming events that will see us as protagonists. A sincere encouragement to the Riviera Triathlon 1992, to the institutional actors involved and to those who will become the protagonists of this new, exciting sports page, in the name of entertainment and emotions”.
Riccardo Giubilei, president of the Italian Triathlon Federation
“We are really happy that the Challenge is returning to Italy in the evocative scenario of Sanremo after the 2022 edition. The athletes, both Italian and foreign, will return to compete on legendary routes and in which the Giro d’Italia has made history, among incomparable panoramas and the blue sea of Liguria. I want to congratulate the organizers who, thanks to the close relationship with the local administrations and in the wake of the Federation, which is to be ever closer to the territories that host us, are capable of organizing such a demanding event. My good luck and my sincere wish for good fun goes to all the athletes who will compete for victory in a race that I am sure will be spectacular”.
Jort Vlam, CEO of Challenge Family
“Dear Athletes, welcome to Challenge Sanremo, and we are thrilled to welcome athletes from throughout Europe to this spectacular destination on the Italian Riviera. After a successful first year in 2022 where Challenge Sanremo took home Best New Race in the Challenge Family Awards, we know you’ll have a race to remember in this stunning part of the world. Thank you for your passion and commitment to race here in Sanremo and for your trust in Challenge Family. I also express my thanks to Daniele Moraglia and his team who have worked so hard all year to bring Challenge Sanremo to you. And special thanks must go to the countless volunteers, local stakeholders, sponsors as well as the local community for their support. Challenge Family is all about the athlete and I know you will experience this for yourself with the friendly, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that prevails at all our races around the globe and especially so here in Italy. The community’s warm hospitality, the challenging but beautiful course surrounded by the stunning Italian Riviera scenery and unique run and finish line on the shores of the Mediterranean all combine to create an unforgettable race experience. I wish you all the very best for your race and see you at the finish line!”.
LIVE STREAMING
Challenge Sanremo scheduled for Sunday 24 September will be fully live streamed on YouTube Channel of Challenge Sanremo and Challenge Family with italian and english commentary from 7:45 am.
