Rouleur #143 Spring fever: you can almost touch it. It’s a buzz, a vibration anticipated by the premature licks of sunshine which hit Belgium’s cobbles in anticipation of what’s next. It’s a raring, daring feeling, a force that shifts cycling’s needle to the first of its three GrandTours. The Giro d’Italia: a race embodied by the vibrant maglia rosa worn by its leader, whose vitality and vigour capture the moods of the temperamental Italian spring, and which are woven into the spirit of Rouleur 143. In this issue, we focus on trailblazers andfirst-timers. From the journey of Unibet Rose Rockets, the first team to make social media a central pillar of its sponsorship model, to the resilience behind Lorenzo Finn’s U23 rainbow bands, these are the spring lambs stepping into the spotlight. They’re intent on making their presence felt, their voices heard, and their ambitions clear in a sport shaped by centuries of passionate, unpredictable chaos. So, what next? ‘Bella Vita!’ cry the mountains, towns and cities of the Corsa Rosa, handing out tastes of the ‘good life’ – gruelling tests of endurance with an ironic smirk to those who take to its path. Let there be drama, let there be stories for today, tomorrow, and the rest. Rocket Man A camera, a stack of pizza boxes, and a dream. What started as three friends making light-hearted YouTube videos has grown into a ProTeam competing at the highest level, winning their first WorldTour race and now lining up at the Giro d’Italia. It’s one of cycling’s most modern success stories. Rouleur speaks to Bart Tietema, the Unibet Rose Rockets founder, about the journey from YouTube channel to Grand Tour start line. Learning Curves Experience is a funny thing in cycling –essential one moment, then undermined the next by the sport’s beautiful unpredictability. Movistar Team’s 19-year-old talent Cat Ferguson and WorldTour veteran Liane Lippert compare notes on racing, language skills, and everything that’s changed since their respective professional debuts– including the Giro d’Italia Women’s newcalendar spot. Milan moves fast: between fast and future For the 90th time, Milan welcomes a stage finish of the Giro d’Italia. Riding through the city with Italian journalist Valeria Ciardiello, Rouleur traces a route shaped by memory,architecture and cycling heritage - where evolving architecture, shifting streets and lived memories propel ciclismo toward its next chapter. Lollo the Terrier Lorenzo Finn, the under-23 world champion with English, Irish and Italian blood, is in norush to get to the top of the WorldTour tree. But rest assured, he’s on his way. Rouleur trace the young star’s route from Genoa to Rwanda, via Sheffield and County Galway. Eastern promise What should a cycling career look like? As the centre of gravity in professional bike racing begins to shift, a growing number of riders are looking eastward. Rouleur explores how riders are leaving behind the pressures of Europe’s WorldTour system, and finding new purpose and momentum across Asia’s rapidly evolving racing scene.
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