May 2023

The Giro d'Italia 2023 is already in full swing, the riders have now got the first stages behind them. Team corratec is also right in the thick of it and is in very good shape so far. Two breakaway attempts on the first two long stages are impressive proof of this. One thing is clear: Team corratec don't just want to ride along in the slipstream, but compete with the best in the world.

And Team corratec is already attracting lots of attention at the beginning of the Giro with some notable successes. On the first stage after the opening time trial in Ortona, the youngest team in the peloton attacked right from the start. Stefano Gandin was even able to win a sprint classification for Team corratec, fulfilling the mission of the wildcard team.

On the third stage, over 200 kilometres on a section along the Adriatic coast from Vasto to Melfi, hilly terrain as well as 1,400 metres of altitude awaited the riders. Again Team corratec was ready to attack from the start. This time it was the Serbian Veljko Stojnić and the Italian Alexander Konychev who rode off the front. For more than four hours, the two 24-year-olds fought with the best in the overall classification. Only in the last part of the stage did the peloton pass the duo. Team corratec is nevertheless highly satisfied with the first days of the Giro: "Our strategy is working, the riders are giving it all they’ve got  - and they want to be in the leading group every day.

A strong performance that should be rewarded

The bike manufacturer is also very impressed with its young team. The company founder and CEO of corratec Konrad Irlbacher made this clear in the Eurosport studio: "I'm very proud of the team, which is representing the corratec brand so well – as it’s the most important thing for us." “And of course, I wouldn’t say no to a stage win in the coming weeks either”, Irlbacher added with a smile. Sports and PR manager Steffen Thum agreed with him that Team corratec has met all their expectations so far even without a stage win. "We are representing our brand in the best possible way and are innovative, bold and courageous," Thum said happily. No bike has been on TV longer on the first stages than Team corratec's CCT EVO.

With a vision of a successful future

Stagnation is a strange word for the corratec team. "Every day we get feedback from the riders, who are in close contact with the corratec engineers. This information flows directly into the production and product management of our bikes," explains Thum, one of the processes that should bring Team corratec success in the long run. Being able to participate in the Giro d'Italia is also a stroke of luck for the company from Raubling. In the Discovery Channel TV studio, Thum said: "The Giro d'Italia will make us stronger, our bikes faster, increase brand awareness for corratec - and in the end make our customers happier."

What's next for the Giro d'Italia?

The Tour of Italy is on until Sunday, 28 May. In the coming stages, there are more mountains waiting for the riders. Stages where the mountains will be longer and also steeper. The highlight of the first week is the seventh stage, where the final climb from Popoli up to Campo Imperatore involves almost 2,000 metres of climbing in one. By the time they reach the finish in Rome, the riders will have covered a total distance of around 3,500 kilometres. For Team corratec, after their strong start, their focus is clear: keep calm, pace yourself and stand up to the established riders. The big pressure is off - because the Team corratec riders have mastered the start of this highlight race of the year very successfully. However, Valerio Conti, who fractured his pelvis in a crash, is no longer in the race.

Giro on TV and Internet

Every day from 12.30 p.m., all cycling fans can follow the 106th edition of the Giro d'Italia live on Eurosport - and see how the youngest team in the field, Team corratec, is doing. An interesting report from the Eurosport studio with Konrad Irlbacher and Steffen Thum (in German) can be found here.