This year’s event is even more spectacular and exceptional,
since it will be, for the first time in its history, also held outside
Italy. UCI has entrusted the organisation of the event to the Slovenian
Cycling Federation, the cycling club KD Rog, the City Municipality of
Ljubljana, and the BTC Company due to their long-term efforts, the
results of which can be seen in the success of the women’s professional
cycling team BTC City Ljubljana, the internationally renowned Marathon
Franja BTC City, and last year’s successful organisation of the ARWC
Finals, UWCT 2014. This year, the BTC City Ljubljana team will take part
in the Giro Rosa for the second consecutive year.

Giro Rosa is one of the most demanding and prestigious women’s races
in the UCI calendar. This 10-day race, which has been part of the
calendar since 1988, will this year visit Slovenia for the first time
ever. Each year, only the best 18 teams in the world are invited to
compete in the race.

• Thursday, July 2, 9.00 p.m.: Official opening ceremony and presentation of the teams at the Kongresni trg square;
• Friday, July 3, 7.00 p.m.: 2-km Giro Rosa prologue: start in the centre of Ljubljana (Slovenska cesta Road);
• Saturday, July 4, 12.00 a.m.: Start of the first Giro Rosa stage in Kamnik.
  The route of the stage will proceed in the opposite direction of the
  Little Marathon Franja course. After 102.5 km, the race will finish in
  BTC City Ljubljana.

The prologue and the first stage will be followed by 8 stages in
Italy, with the conclusion in San Domenico di Varzo on Sunday, July 12.

The organisation of this event is an important milestone for
Slovenian cycling. It is a pilot project, which will serve as a
foundation for the formation of organisational standards of all future
big sports events in Slovenia.

Commenting on the upcoming Giro Rosa, Jože Mermal,
president of the BTC Company and president of the Organising Committee
of the 2nd  Giro Rosa stage, said: “The organisation of this important
event wasn’t just given to us overnight. We have invested years of
planned effort and commitment into this beautiful sport. Many factors
contributed to us receiving this prestigious invitation: the success of
the women’s cycling team BTC City Ljubljana and its growing reputation
across the world; Marathon Franja BTC City, which has over the years
become internationally recognised; last year’s ARWC Finals – UWCT 2014;
and, last but not least, the 66-year-long tradition of the cycling club
KD Rog, which has been the main protagonist and pylon of all major
cycling projects in Slovenia. I believe that the fans will contribute
greatly to the biggest spectacle of the year. Slovenian cycling fans
will proudly cheer for our professional women’s cycling team BTC City
Ljubljana, which has already enthralled us with marvellous results in
the past season.”

The Giro Rosa race will see the participation of Slovenia’s first and
currently only professional women’s cycling team BTC City Ljubljana,
which was established in 2014. Last year, the BTC City Ljubljana racers
took part in the Giro Rosa for the first time ever. The team included 20
cyclists from Slovenia and abroad; with excellent results in their
premiere season, they surpassed all expectations. Top results in the UCI
races meant that the team has become part of the women’s cycling elite.
In its first season, the team ranked 16th in the UCI rankings and 15th
in the World Cup (among 31 teams). Great praise for the team’s hard work
and excellent achievements brought them invitations to the Tour de
France and the Tour of Spain (Vuelta e Espana).

In its second racing season, the BTC City Ljubljana team will include
15 racers from Slovenia and abroad. Last year’s team members, Polona Batagelj, Špela Kern, Alenka Novak, Anja Rugelj and Urša Pintar from Slovenia, Eugenia Bujak from Poland, Martina Ritter from Austria, Elena Valentini from Italy and Mia Radotić from Croatia, will be joined by experienced new members Jelena Erić from Serbia, Olena Pavlukhina from Azerbaijan, Eva Lechner from Italy, and Urška Žigart, Anita Žnidaršič, and Tesa Vilar from Slovenia.

About the upcoming race, Gorazd Penko, sports
director and coach of the BTC City Ljubljana team, said: “Merely a year
after the BTC City Ljubljana team was established, our girls will
already be a part of the prestigious Giro Rosa race, and on top of it
all – it will take place in Slovenia! This is an amazing achievement,
not only for all the racers, but also for all our partners and
co-organisers, who have been striving towards organising a top cycling
event in compliance with the high standards of the UCI. We are all
thrilled that Slovenia will be able to soak up the wonderful women’s
cycling energy and enthusiasm across two whole days.”

Giuseppe Rivolta, Giro Rosa race director, pointed
out: “This year’s Giro Rosa will bring some freshness to the race –
racing outside Italy after a 25-year-long tradition of racing only at
home. With the efforts put in towards the development of cycling
culture, women’s cycling and cycling events, the Slovenian organisers
justified their reputation and our trust in them for the organisation of
the prologue and the first stage of Giro Rosa.”
The organisation of
such attention-grabbing sports events as the Giro Rosa has a significant
impact on sports as well as other important areas in Slovenia and
across its borders. Big sports events contribute greatly to the
international recognition of Slovenia across Europe and the rest of the
world, to the development of tourism and the rise in popularity of
professional and recreational cycling.

Additional information:

Maja Oven, Director of Market Communications and Public Relations Sector

• T: 00386 1 585 13 15
• E: maja.oven@btc.si