Press release no. 17/2021 GIRO D’ITALIA 2020: THE 15TH STAGE OF THE GIRO D’ITALIA SETS OFF FROM THE HOME OF THE FRECCE TRICOLORI On Sunday 18 October, the Frecce Tricolori will signal the start of the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia, which, for the first time in the history of the race, will start from a military airbase – that of the Italian Air Force’s 2nd Wing and home to the National Aerobatic Team. Once again, the partnership between the Frecce Tricolori and the Giro d’Italia is being renewed. Indeed, in the recent past, the pink of the cycling race has already been combined with the tricolour of the PAN: in 2009, the Giro d’Italia peloton crossed the runway at the Friuli airbase, and in 2014, the Frecce Tricolori flew over Trieste to mark the finish of the final stage. This year, the tricolour smoke trails of the National Aerobatic Team’s MB-339s will mark the start of the mountain stage, which will run for 185 km from Rivolto military airport to Piancavallo (PN). The start of the stage of the 103rd Giro d’Italia from the Friuli military base once again highlights the strong bond between the region, the Italian Air Force and the Frecce Tricolori, which Friuli Venezia Giulia has been hosting for 60 years now. This year, in fact, was due to mark a very prestigious milestone for the PAN: the 60th aerobatic season of the Frecce Tricolori, with a special event planned for 19 and 20 September, the celebrations for which – due to the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – have been postponed until 2021. Throughout this difficult year of 2020, the Frecce Tricolori have been ambassadors of a message of hope and optimism, “racing” at the end of May on a very special “tour of Italy” – an initiative strongly supported by the Minister of Defence, the Honourable Lorenzo Guerini – which visited all the regional capitals over five days, a sort of “tricolour embrace” as a sign of solidarity. This flypast also aims to symbolically highlight the strong commitment required of everyone – just as in a great team – to achieve a common goal, which may be a sporting achievement or something far more important in these difficult times, such as public health. Every citizen, for the good of all, is called upon to act responsibly and with a sense of discipline – values upon which the training and displays of the Frecce Tricolori are also built, a team for whom respect for the rules and team spirit are part of their very DNA. Watch the Frecce Tricolori and Giro d'Italia video on the Italian Air Force's YouTube channel. The 313th Aerobatic Training Group “Frecce Tricolori” The Italian Air Force’s 313th Aerobatic Training Group was established at Rivolto Airfield on 1 March 1961, with the task of embodying the combined capabilities of the pilots and specialists of the entire Air Force; the Group’s mission is, in fact, to represent the values, technology, professionalism and teamwork of the entire Italian Air Force. The Frecce Tricolori, heirs to the glorious aerobatic teams of the past, are the most visible symbol of the Italian Air Force and have the privilege of demonstrating to audiences and experts from all over the world the flying techniques of the Italian aerobatic school, which was founded at Campoformido (UD) in the late 1920s. In the 1950s, Italy was represented at various national and international events by aerobatic teams formed annually within the various fighter wings. However, in 1961, the Italian Air Force General Staff decided to establish a National Aerobatic Team with its permanent base at Rivolto Airport, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Thus was born the 313th Aerobatic Training Group “Frecce Tricolori”; this is the official designation of a unit comprising over 100 military personnel, including officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel from all operational, logistical and support units, representing the more than 40,000 men and women who make up the Italian Air Force today. The aircraft initially adopted was the prestigious F-86, which was replaced in the 1964 season by the glorious G.91 PAN. At the end of 1981, the 313th Group made the transition to the Aermacchi MB-339A PAN, an aircraft designed and built in Italy, which has been part of this unit’s history for almost 40 years. A flight programme such as that of the Frecce Tricolori is the result of many years of specialised work in formation aerobatics carried out by the Italian Air Force’s units; it therefore represents a vast wealth of experience, which has been built up and passed down over time through the contribution of ideas and experiences from the members of the Italian Aerobatic Teams. To date, the P.A.N. has flown at more than 2,000 events, visiting countries across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Canada and the United States of America. In 2020, the Frecce Tricolori were due to celebrate their 60th aerobatic season, a special anniversary which, due to the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been postponed to 2021. On Sunday 18 October, for the first time in the history of the Giro d’Italia, a stage of the race will start from an Italian Air Force airbase. Specifically, it will set off from Rivolto military airbase, headquarters of the 2nd Wing and home to the 313th Aerobatic Training Group – the Frecce Tricolori. This renews the bond between the Italian Air Force and the Giro d’Italia. Back in 2009, the Giro d’Italia peloton had already crossed the runway at Rivolto Airbase during one of the Friuli stages, and in 2014, a flypast by the National Aerobatic Team had marked the arrival of the Giro d’Italia in a packed and enthusiastic Trieste. To mark the celebrations for the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic, the National Aerobatic Team carried out a series of flypasts, visiting all the Italian regions and symbolically embracing the whole nation with tricolour smoke trails, as a sign of unity, solidarity and hope. The Frecce Tricolori’s tour set off from Rivolto, home to the 313th Aerobatic Training Group, and – over the course of five days – visited all the regional capitals, before symbolically concluding on 2 June, with a flypast over Rome to mark Republic Day. Each of us, for the good of all, is called upon to act with responsibility and a sense of discipline – values upon which the training and displays of the Frecce Tricolori are also built, a team for whom respect for the rules and team spirit are part of their very DNA.