Lara Gillespie Triumphs at the 2024 Mediterranean Giro in Rosa

Lara Gillespie is the winner of the 2024 edition of the Mediterranean Giro in Rosa, the international cycling event that concluded after five stages with the crossing of two regions (Campania and Puglia). The 23-year-old Irishwoman, who celebrated her birthday on Sunday right in the race, finished the competition with two stage victories, those collected at the finish lines of Torre del Greco and Barletta. Gillespie also tried to achieve a third win in the last leg, Foggia-Motta Montecorvino of 92 kilometers with an uphill finish, but slipped in a curve 200 meters from the finish line when she was leading. It was then her teammate from the Uae Development Federica Venturelli who crossed the finish line first. For her, it was the second victory of the season after the one obtained the day before at Castelnuovo della Daunia: "Up to one kilometer from the finish, I led the group to bring Lara to victory," she states, "When she slipped, I gave everything to control the other competitors and I managed it." Lara Gillespie, however, smiles, bringing home the maroon Effebiquattro jersey: "It was five fantastic days," she admits, "in which I won two stages and the general classification. I couldn't hope to do better. The most beautiful moment? The solo victory at Torre del Greco, the one that gave me the leader's jersey which I then never left." These are the other jerseys awarded: green Fratelli Balsamo for the mountain grand prix Elisa Valtulini (Bepink), blue Form Retail for the points classification, and white Sustech jersey for the young Federica Venturelli (Uae Development). It's time for an assessment for the organization, led by Francesco Vitiello of the Black Panthers association and Salvatore Belardo of the Gruppo Biesse: "The event has grown," emphasizes the honorary president Luigi Eucalipto, "and this year it touched two regions, embracing the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic. We are pleased that the administrations that believed in our project were all satisfied." Francesco Vitiello echoes this: "We are already at work for the 2026 edition, which we are sure after Campania and Puglia will host other regions. It's too early to say, but the contacts are more than started."