And boy does it look hard! Elite men's road race to remember Franco Ballerini The organisers of the 2013 world road race championships have unveiled the final routes for the time trial and road race events, confirming that the Elite men's race will remember the late Franco Ballerini by passing the cemetery where he is buried. Angelo Zomegnan, the head of the organising committee, revealed details of each of the race routes, confirming that the races would also pass in the shadow of the spectacular Florence Duomo and cover the testing climb up to Fiesole. "These will be a special, unique world championships, combining great racing with the unique beauty and history of Florence and Tuscany," Zomegnan said during the presentation. "The Elite men's will pass the cemetery where Franco Ballerini is buried in Casalguidi. I think it's the right way to remember Franco. He was one of the people who inspired the successful bid to host the world championships in Tuscany." Zomegnan confirmed reports that the road races will be tough and selective. The Elite men covers a total distance of 272.5km, while the women's race will cover 130km. "The road race course is one of the hardest for many years and will provide some spectacular racing," he said. There are more than 3000m of climbing, as much as in a mountain stage at the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France. The total distance during the 11 circuits around Florence in the Elite men's race add up to 58.650km of climbing or 30% of the distance covered on the circuit. The road race championships will be held between September 22-29, with the team time trials for men and women opening the week of racing.
