Giro del Trentino-Melinda is to be the new title of the Italian 4-day stage race April 21-24, 2015
Giro del Trentino and Melinda Consortium join forces to run together the 40-year tradition. Under the new agreement, the Giro del Trentino – after 38 years of success – and the Trofeo Melinda, after 23 editions, the last two of them assigning the Italian Road Championships titles, eventually awarding Vincenzo Nibali the “Tricolore” shirt a few weeks before his Tour de France triumph last summer, take the next step together, becoming “Giro del Trentino-Melinda”.
Melinda is an organization made up by 4,000 fruit-farmer families who live and grow apple trees in the Noce River Valleys (Val di Non and Val di Sole). Every year they deliver their harvest to Melinda Consortium, who organizes and manages all the harvest downstream procedures (storage, refrigerated storage, selection, packaging, dispatch, promotion, sales, administration, purchases, HR management, etc.). All the apples on market displaying Melinda brand are grown in compliance with the Integrated Production Guidelines, according to the strictest Italian and European control standards, (ISO 9001, BRC, IFS certifications).
At the upcoming Giro del Trentino, Melinda brand will appear on the overall leader jersey, in the start and finish areas as well as on the key points of the route and all key occasions related to the race. The final stage 4 will finish in the Valle di Non (where Melinda Consortium is based), possibly passing through the near Val di Sole, in continuity with Trofeo Melinda’s tradition.
Michele Odorizzi, Melinda Consortium’s President: “For over 20 years Melinda has tied its brand to cycling sport with a prestigious one-day race that late Marco Brentari, Guido Ghirardini and their staff grew up and improved with unbelievable enthusiasm. The new agreement with GS Alto Garda gives us the chance to remain in cycling in our territory, merging our energies with another great event held in the same Province, and I believe this will prove the a very good choice for everyone”.
Giacomo Santini, President of GS Alto Garda (Giro del Trentino-Melinda organizer): “This agreement brings an incredible added value to the event, keeping Melinda linked to cycling through an outstanding and well-established four-day race, whose reputation is widely renowned worldwide. With regard to the Giro del Trentino, the cooperation with Melinda will enforce the race identity considering the strong human, cultural and economic values behind the brand”.
Arco (Italy), January 7th, 2015
