Many important people attended the event in Sala Buzzati in the heart of Milan – from sponsors, media, and institutions from the world of cycling – inside one of the historical buildings of RCS MediaGroup.
 
Representatives of the four jerseys’ sponsors attended: Nicola Lanzetta, Head of Italian Market, Enel; Luca Lisoni, Clients Communication and Marketing Manager, Banca Mediolanum; Maurizio Ruvolo, “Io sono Algida” Country Project Leader; Luca Burgazzoli, Marketing Director Eurospin Italy and Monica Santini, Managing Director Santini Maglificio Sportivo.


 
This year's Madrina, Giorgia Palmas, showgirl, TV presenter and partner of the bike stuntman Vittorio Brumotti, said: “It’s a proud honour for me to be the Giro d’Italia Madrina. Cycling has been a part of my life since I was a little girl, my dad was always following the Giro on television and I was watching it with him. In the last few years, thanks to my relationship with Vittorio, I’ve become closer and closer to this wonderful sport. I was totally smitten last year, following the final stage of the Giro in Milan, the city where I live: I was really excited. I believe I’m now in the right place at the right time. I’m incredibly happy!”
 
Giacomo Nizzolo, Trek - Segafredo rider and winner of sprinter’s Maglia Rossa in Giro 2015, said: “It was a great emotion for me winning the best sprinter’s classification and wear this jersey on the Milan podium, the city where I was born. I fought for this jersey day after day. I think about it a lot and I want to win it again this year. My goal at the Giro will be that and my team, Trek - Segafredo, is organising the perfect supporting cast to help me in the sprints. We will have a very strong team at the Giro d’Italia”.
 
Marco Melandri, Moto GP racer and great cycling aficionado, spoke about his link with cycling: “Before starting my career on motorbikes I was riding bicycles, in particular BMX. Being from Romagna, I lived with great passion the racing history of Marco Pantani. I’m friends with many of the pro riders and for me cycling is almost an addiction: I cycle a lot when I’m not busy at work and I record all the races on TV and watch them overnight. I have a Maglia Rosa framed at home, given to me by Paolo Savoldelli when he won the Giro d’Italia, one of the greatest sporting icons for us fans”.
 
The two times UCI Elite Road World Champion, Olympic Champion and ex-Italian National Team Manager Paolo Bettini said: “Wearing the Rainbow Jersey for an entire season gives you special feelings but, for an Italian rider in particular, wearing the Maglia Rosa is incomparable. When you are born and grow up with Italian cycling, you start loving the pink colour from childhood, the pink colour of the Giro jersey. I wore the leader jersey in 2005 for four days, riding with it through my Tuscany. Feeling the passion of the Italian fans when the Maglia Rosa is riding through them, on the road, at the start of the stages, everywhere it’s a unique sensation. It’s like all your childhood dreams became true”.
 
RCS Sport CEO Raimondo Zanaboni said: “The Giro d’Italia is one of the main assets of RCS MediaGroup and has an international prestige and a value that keeps growing year on year. This is testified by the addition to the Giro family of our new partners this year – Enel, 3 Italy, Casa.it – in the previous editions, Algida and Eurospin, and by having long term relations, such as the one with Banca Mediolanum, with us for longer than 10 years. We have one of the most relevant sporting events in the world and we are proud to be able to offer our sponsors an event of such prestige that sees us growing day by day together”.