On Saturday, April 26, 2025, western Friuli hosted the 5th Trofeo Emozione, one of the most prestigious international races for the junior category. At the finish line in Piazza XX Settembre in Pordenone, track world champion Alessio Magagnotti (Autozai Contri) from Trento triumphed, beating Brandon Fedrizzi (Petrucci Assali Stefen) from Bolzano and Nicola Padovan (Gottardo Giochi Caneva) from Treviso in a sprint finish.
The 136.8 km race started in Vivaro and crossed the roads of the Pordenone area, passing through towns such as Arba, Sequals, Travesio, San Daniele, Spilimbergo, Azzano Decimo, and Pasiano. The route, made even more selective by rain, gravel sections, and the Monte di Ragogna climb (2.8 km at 10% with peaks of 16%), thinned out the pack from the early stages.
Roberto Capello (Team Grenke Auto Eder) launched a solo attack on the Ragogna ascent, leading the way across the six gravel sections and building a lead of up to a minute and a half over the peloton. However, his breakaway ended about 15 km from the finish due to fatigue and cramps, as the peloton of around fifty riders sped toward Pordenone at high speed.
In the final stages, Autozai Contri worked flawlessly: in particular, Marco Andrea Pierotto led Magagnotti into the front positions until the final corner, where the rider from Trento emerged in front and launched a powerful, clean sprint that left his opponents with no chance. This is Magagnotti’s second victory of the season following his success in Calenzano, in a season that confirms him as one of the most anticipated talents on the international junior scene.
At the finish line, Magagnotti highlighted the importance of teamwork and the difficulties faced during the day, including rain, allergies, and a very demanding course. On the final podium, in addition to the top three finishers, the special Trofeo Emozione jerseys were awarded: the black jersey to the overall winner Alessio Magagnotti, the green GPM jersey to Leander De Gendt (Cannibal), the white best young rider jersey to Brandon Fedrizzi, and the red intermediate sprints jersey to Roberto Capello.
Setting the stage for the awards ceremony in a crowded Piazza XX Settembre were key federal and regional institutional authorities, along with organizers Adolfo Sacchetto and Andrea Favot, who reaffirmed the mission of the Trofeo Emozione: a day of great youth cycling, spectacle, and passion on the roads of Friuli.
