You can now ride the Giro d’Italia on Fortnite

RCS Sport, organisers of the Giro d'Italia, have announced a new partnership with Epic Games, bringing a virtual experience of the Corsa Rosa to the popular video game, Fortnite. Launched on May 2nd, the "Giro d'Italia Pit Stop" island allows players to virtually ride a portion of the iconic Italian Grand Tour, collecting pink jerseys and engaging in cycling-themed challenges within the game's creative mode. This initiative aims to engage a younger, digital-native audience with the sport.

This move represents a significant, if perhaps unexpected, foray into mainstream gaming for professional cycling. While e-racing platforms like Zwift have cultivated a dedicated audience, this partnership with Fortnite, a game boasting hundreds of millions of users, targets an entirely different demographic. It follows a broader trend of sports organisations seeking novel ways to expand their reach beyond traditional viewership, acknowledging the evolving media consumption habits of younger generations. The Giro, in particular, has often been at the forefront of innovative marketing.

Whether this translates into new fans or merely a fleeting digital novelty remains to be seen. Still, credit where it's due: if you can't get them to watch the race, perhaps you can get them to *play* it.