“Cycling in Italy has a big problem" - Filippo Pozzato on his ambition to recapture Italian interest in the sport

Since retirement in 2018, former Milano-Sanremo, Tirreno-Adriatico and two-time Tour de France stage winner Filippo Pozzato has remained close to the sport, including the creation of the Veneto Classic. In his mind however, a lot needs to be done to recapture Italian interest in the sport of cycling.

“Cycling in Italy has a big problem,” said Pozzato in conversation with Wielerflits. “The cycling fan is too old. I want to try to change that, to attract young people too. It must be a celebration around the race. For me, cycling is the most beautiful sport there is, but the population is very old and it is not attractive to young people. That change is not easy, but it is not impossible either.”

So how does he plan to go about this challenging task? Finance and investment will obviously be key. "You start with one paying customer, then a year later there are five and then ten. Our VIP area cannot be compared to that on the Koppenberg. The situation is very different, but I try to learn from it," he explains. "We now have a few large and loyal sponsors who have signed for three or four years, until 2025. This way we can also work in a future-oriented way and every year I receive a fixed amount from the Veneto region. That is very important, they are the basis and without them I could not have started this in 2020.”

“It gets better every year. Now I have a product that I can show to potential partners. Crédit Agricole was first our sponsor and then joined RCS, but they see that there is a difference between our organizations. If I have sponsorship money left over, I want to make my competition better every time. I see that as an investment," Pozzato continues, however it isn't easy. “The system is just very difficult in Italy."